Singer-songwriter-pianist Jeffery Straker performs over 100 shows per year across Canada. He recently recorded for CBC radio's 'Canada Live', had a music video rise to the top 10 (#6) on Canada's Much More Music and in May 2010 toured his music across the Canadian prairies with the Regina Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players. His album Step Right Up was the #5 selling album in his home-land of Saskatchewan in August 2010, ahead of both Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. He's sure neither of them cared. But he is sure that he, in fact, did. He has just launched a new album, under the soles of my shoes in June 2011 and is touring Canada in support of it. Tour stops include shows ranging from intimate house concerts to a show with the full Regina Symphony Orchestra and many in between. Canadian Musician Magazine recently said, "Very much an artist to watch". The Chicago Free Press has written ": "Rufus Wainwright, as well as k.d. lang are among the Canadians making essential and beautiful music. Add the name Jeffery Straker to that list".
Originally from small town Saskatchewan, the classically trained pianist was raised by a church organist mother and an auctioneer father. He swears he was born under the piano on the family farm. All this might explain his ability to share songs with audiences.
Jeffery has been invited to showcase at Canadian Music Week, NXNE, the Western Canadian Music Awards, as well as JunoFest. His songwriting has seen him become a national top 10 finalist in the Canadian Radiostar Songwriting Competition and a top 20 finalist in the Unisong Competition. He was recently honored to be short-listed for the Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award. Not at all sure if he would actually win it, he was delighted to attend the gala as he was sure the cake would be amazing. It was. He has appeared at a range of festivals including Regina Folk Festival, Ness Creek Festival and Prairie Scene at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. 2011 marks his Symphony debut. Jeffery is a musical descendant of Beethoven through teacher-student lineage (seriously...see his website for the full story). He was a student of the Royal Conservatory of Music and received his licentiate diploma in piano performance from Trinity College, London when he was 19.
