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National Music Centre marks Oscar Peterson’s 100th birthday with rare artifacts, live jazz, and a year-long tribute.
Remembering a Canadian Jazz Legend
The National Music Centre (NMC) is honouring the life and legacy of Oscar Peterson with a major new exhibition, Timeless: 100 Years of Oscar Peterson. Opening July 16, 2025, at Studio Bell in Calgary, the show coincides with what would have been the jazz icon’s 100th birthday.
Known worldwide as “The Maharaja of the Keyboard” and “The Man with Four Hands,” Peterson’s career spanned more than six decades. He earned countless awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Glenn Gould Prize, and the distinction of being the first artist inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1978. Beyond his virtuosic playing, he was a humanitarian and advocate for civil rights whose 1962 composition Hymn to Freedom became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.
Andy Milne’s Personal Connection
For Juno Award-winning pianist Andy Milne, Peterson’s influence runs deep. Milne first encountered Peterson’s music as a child in Kincardine, Ontario, when his brother-in-law gifted him two albums: the 1962 Night Train and 1964’s Oscar Peterson Trio with Clark Terry.
As a teenager, Milne saw Peterson perform live in Toronto and was captivated. “It just sort of struck me as a young Black kid growing up in Canada: This man is a national treasure,” he says. His admiration for Peterson led him to York University, where the jazz legend occasionally coached small-ensemble classes.
One lesson in particular stuck with Milne. Peterson told him to “learn the song” — advice that, on the surface, seemed simple. But weeks later, Milne realized it meant developing a deeper, 360-degree relationship with music. “It was much richer than that,” he says. “It’s much more of an investigation around it and thinking more richly about the relationship.”
Celebrating 100 Years
The NMC’s exhibition, developed in collaboration with the Peterson estate and his widow, Kelly, offers the most comprehensive look yet at Peterson’s life and career. Visitors can explore awards, archival interviews, performance footage, personal artifacts, and instruments from his home studio — including synthesizers and electronic equipment that reveal his early interest in music technology.
One rare highlight is the Roland D-50 synthesizer Peterson played during the 1988 Winter Olympics gala in Calgary — believed to be the only time he used a synthesizer in concert.
“There are many aspects of him people don’t know,” says Kelly Peterson. “This exhibition captures the heart of who he was as a musician and as a human being.”
Live Music and Special Programming
The centenary celebrations include a full weekend of live performances and talks:
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Aug. 15 – Andy Milne: In Tribute to Oscar Peterson 100, 7:30 p.m.
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Aug. 16 – The Music of Oscar Peterson Live with Calgary pianist Sheldon Zandboer, noon
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Aug. 16 – Oscar Peterson 100: Recognizing and Rethinking Influence, a talk by Milne, 1 p.m.
Programming is included with regular admission, giving visitors the chance to enjoy the exhibition while hearing Peterson’s music performed live.
A Lasting Legacy
Peterson’s impact continues to ripple through generations of musicians, from Herbie Hancock to Diana Krall. As Andrew Mosker, NMC President and CEO, notes: “His story is admired around the world and is one of brilliance, resilience, and innovation. We’re honoured to present his legacy in a way that educates, inspires, and moves people.”
Timeless: 100 Years of Oscar Peterson runs until July 2026 at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre.