About Taylor
Taylor Donaldson is a busy member of the Montreal music scene, working as a trombonist, composer, arranger and editor. He leads his own 17-piece big band, swing dance orchestra and small jazz ensembles. He performs frequently with the award-winning l’Orchestre National de Jazz de Montréal (ONJM), numerous other jazz ensembles in Quebec and Ontario such as The Joe Sullivan Big Band and Ron DiLauro Orchestra, and also works in musical theatre pit bands, swing dance bands, classical chamber ensembles, and for popular & commercial concerts and studio recording sessions. Taylor was the Principal Trombonist of the Kingston Symphony Orchestra for the 2008-2009 season, and has travelled to perform in the United States, Britain, France, Switzerland, China and Japan.
Recent performance highlights include concerts with John Clayton and the Oscar Peterson Centennial Jazz Orchestra, The Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra featuring Ingrid Jensen and Gary Versace, Oliver Jones, Ranee Lee, Donny McCaslin, Diane Dufresne, Carol Welsman, Laura Anglade, and many others. Taylor was an invited guest soloist with l’ONJM as part of their 2021 season, for a concert featuring his original compositions and arrangements for jazz orchestra. In 2024, he took part in the Canadian and UK dates on the “No Cities Left” 20th anniversary tour of the acclaimed Montreal indie rock band The Dears.
As a composer/arranger, in addition to his work with the ONJM, Taylor has written music for l’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec (l’OSQ), le Festival de Lanaudière, C’est Si Bon (le Spectacle), The Toronto Jazz Orchestra, and numerous other ensembles. This year, The Montreal Horn Stars recorded and released eight of his original compositions for brass quintet on their self-titled debut record.
Taylor teaches arranging and jazz trombone at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal.