Piano great Oscar Peterson has died, aged 82 at his home in Mississauga, Ontario.

A Message from Kelly & Celine Peterson:

We would like to thank everyone who has sent their condolences, and the hundreds of you who sent e-mail messages. We appreciate it very much. There will be a public memorial service in the near future, and we will provide all the details right here once everything has been decided. For anyone who would like to make donations, we ask you to please make them to World Vision or Christian Children’s Fund in honour of Oscar Peterson. Thank you once again for all your love and support. May God Bless his Soul!”

Canada’s Governor General, Michaelle Jean, said he was a “national treasure”. Fellow pianist, Diana Krall, said he was “my person I looked up to”.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he had been a “bright light of jazz”.

Peterson was one of jazz’s most recorded musicians, and was famous for his fast-playing virtuoso style.

He made more than 200 albums and won eight Grammy awards, including a lifetime achievement honour in 1997.

He released his first single at the age of 19 and performed with greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Nat “King” Cole.

Read more at bbc.co.uk

A tribute to his life will be held at the 35th annual IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) Conference in Toronto during January.