Grand Prize Winner at the 2023 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Canadian jazz singer- songwriter Ori Dagan has attracted a dedicated and growing audience worldwide. With his unmistakably rich bass-baritone, he brings an infectiously deep sense of swing to everything he sings, whether interpreting a standard, spinning a pop tune on its head or introducing his own original music and lyrics. In live performance, Dagan surrounds himself with some of Canada’s finest talents to create consistently fresh and joyful performances. He has entertained thousands across Canada and has to date performed in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Macedonia, Israel and Germany. In July 2023 Ori Dagan placed on the Downbeat Critic’s Poll in the Rising Male Vocalist category.

Inspired by countless innovators in jazz history, as a recording artist, Dagan explores something new with each recording. His inspired debut “S’Cat Got My Tongue” (2009) featured 15 of Toronto’s finest including duets with Heather Bambrick, Julie Michels, Terra Hazelton and Sophia Perlman; 2012’s “Less Than Three <3” fused elements of jazz and pop by reimagining classics by Elton John, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Elvis Presley; 2017’s “Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole” became the first ever jazz visual album with 12 music videos accompanying each track online; 2022’s “Click Right Here” was his first album of all-original material, bringing the musical language of swing and bebop to songs about social media, online dating, identity theft and other 21st century blues; and the upcoming “Peace & Hope & Love” will meld elements of jazz, folk, and chamber music to create a brand new sound, going deeper than ever before in a collaboration with rising star pianist Hila Kulik and 5-time JUNO winning legend and officer of the Order of Canada Jane Bunnett.

During the pandemic, Ori’s weekly live-streamed concert Jazz It Up garnered over one million views collectively, garnering thousands of new fans around the world. When he isn’t on stage performing, in his home base of Toronto, Ori Dagan can frequently be found supporting other artists as a presenter, curator and host; he is the Artistic Director of community organization JazzInToronto. Follow @oridaganjazz on social media.