"Cat gently grabs notes by the hand and nourishes them into unavoidable emotions." Ambrose Akinmusire; Trumpet player/composer, New York City

Catherine (Cat) Toren is a jazz pianist and improviser, and a composer that crosses many genres. She began playing piano at the age of four, and studied classical music for twelve years when she developed an interest in jazz. Alongside grade 10 piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music, she holds a Bachelor of Jazz Studies from Capilano College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has been a valued participant at the Banff Centre's Big Band Workshop and Jazz and Creative Music Workshop (funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Denis Jackson Endowment Fund). She is featured often on international radio programs and podcasts, most notably CBC radio’s Hot Air and North By Northwest. At the 2010 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Pugs and Crows, a quintet she is a member of, was awarded the prestigious Galaxy Rising Star Award. This year also found her performing at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Cat continues to pursue her dream and playing music all over this beautiful earth, and presently resides in Brooklyn, New York.