Jaelem Bhate

Jaelem Bhate is a conductor and composer active in both classical and jazz genres. He was named to CBC’s 30 under 30 classical musicians in 2019.

Jaelem founded Symphony 21; an ensemble focused on producing concerts in non-traditional spaces for non-traditional audiences, breaking down racial, gender, and socio-economic barriers. Guest engagements include the Vancouver and Winnipeg Symphonies, with invitations to Italy, Romania, Portugal and Bulgaria. In 2022, he’ll lead the Guelph Symphony as a candidate for their new Artistic Director.

His compositions have been performed by the Vancouver and Victoria Symphonies, as and many chamber ensembles and soloists. His discography includes on the edge (winner of the 2020 Julian Award. Upcoming), and Carmen, a reimagining of Bizet’s opera for jazz ensemble, and work commissioned by the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra.