The Oscar Peterson Program

The Royal Conservatory strongly believes that the transformative power of music to enrich lives should be accessible to all and created this program to positively impact the lives of young people in our communities through the practice and performance of music.

The Oscar Peterson Program is a scholarship program that will provide high-quality comprehensive musical training, 100% tuition-free, to underserved youth from across the Greater Toronto Area, in an inspiring and supportive environment at the Oscar Peterson School of Music. This initiative will hold true to Dr. Peterson’s belief that music education should be available to everyone.

The Program will reflect Canada’s unique multicultural society and promote inclusion and equity. For students who demonstrate an affinity for music, the program represents an extraordinary opportunity to open a new dimension in their lives that will have a profound impact on them personally, intellectually, emotionally, and socially.

About Oscar 

Oscar Peterson was a larger-than-life figure whose vast musical legacy as a performer and composer continues to resonate around the world. Dr. Peterson championed the idea of music as a transformative discipline for children, especially those growing up in less advantaged circumstances, as he did.

Widely regarded as one of the foremost jazz pianists of his generation, Peterson started his musical training using the curriculum of the RCM Certificate Program, known for its internationally acclaimed standard of music education and achievement, and he credited his classical music training as foundational to his success. Oscar had a lifelong connection to The Royal Conservatory. In his later years, he was named a Fellow of the RCM and contributed his voice in support of the Conservatory’s efforts to advocate for the value of music education.