Manitoba-born pianist and composer Michelle Grégoire embarked on her musical journey at a very young age, and at 14 was already walking away with winning titles in local and national jazz competitions. Raised in a francophone community bordering Winnipeg, she started her professional piano career at 17, performing at Les 100 nons, a non-profit centre in Winnipeg aimed at promoting Francophone artists. Now a household name in Winnipeg's jazz circuit, Grégoire has performed regularly with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra since its inception in 1997, and has been an active part of the city's Francophone music scene. With her quintet, featuring Kirk Macdonald, Jim Vivian, Kevin Turcotte and Ted Warren, she released her acclaimed debut as a leader in 2004, with Reaching.