TORONTO – Ontario’s Liberal government is creating $1 million in music scholarships in memory of jazz legend Oscar Peterson.
The cash will be doled out every year to five underprivileged music students at Toronto’s York University in chunks of $10,000. A further $4 million will be given to the Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance so professors can do in-depth music studies.
Premier Dalton McGuinty says Peterson enriched the lives of Canadians, and this is a fitting tribute.
McGuinty says helping gifted music students to pursue their dreams is an excellent legacy for the jazz pianist.
Peterson died Dec. 23 at the age of 82.
