Quinsin Nachoff, a Canadian saxophonist and clarinetist, is based in NYC. (GLOBE&MAIL). His latest project, Flux is with Matt Mitchell, David Binney, and Kenny Wollesen, the keyboardist and drummer. Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen critic, described Flux’s concert at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival’s Winterlude, as “pure, bracing and thought-provoking music…cliche and convention-free” and as “advanced, viscerally-hard-hitting original music”. FoMo (2011) was described by Nachoff as “Funky and passionate, intellectually probing. Nachoff is the complete package.” (EXCLAIM MAGAZINE). Nachoff’s album Magic Numbers (Songlines), was one of the top 10 new releases in 2006 (PHILADELPHIA CITY PAPPER). It has been hailed as “one the most innovative chamber music recordings in recent years” by ALLABOUTJAZZ.COM. It features drummer Jim Black, bassist Mark Helias, and a string quartet featuring violinist Nathalie Bonnein. Horizons Ensemble (Musictronic), features the talents British pianist John Taylor, and Dutch cellist Ernst Reijseger. The music has been praised for its “bold, varied and rich in compelling counterpoint.” (DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE). Nachoff is recognized by the Horizons Ensemble as a leading young jazz composer. **** (of 4),” (GLOBE&MAIL), and “one of the most promising young composers today” (ALLABOUTJAZZ.COM). 5 New Dreams (Cristal Records) was a co-led project with French drummer Bruno Tocanne. Nachoff has been called “one of the revelations” (JAZZMAN.MAGAZINE.FRANCE) and “virtuosic, brilliant, and an instrumentalist” (JAZZMAGAZINE.FRANCE). Nachoff has composed music for many different ensembles. Stars and Constellations, Nachoff’s most recent commission, was composed by the Penderecki String Quartet. It featured Dan Weiss on percussion, Mark Helias on bass, and Nachoff playing saxophone. This work was premiered in May 2015, thanks to the generous support from The Canada Council for the Arts. His previous commissions include a Violin Concerto that is genre-bending for Violinist Nathalie Bonin, which was demoed in January 2014. A bigband work, Time Entwined for the Toronto Jazz Orchestra (2013), a suite for Australian trumpeter Peter Knight’s 5+2 Brass Ensemble was premiered at Melbourne International Jazz Festival (2011), a work for clarinetist Peter Stoll, and the Cecilia String Quartet; a work for octet commissioned by Bruno Tocanne (2010), Mind’s Ear was released on Centrediscs (2009).
He has toured nationally and internationally as a leader, and is active as a sideman in a variety of creative projects in Canada and the United States. He most recently toured Canada and the midwest with Russ Johnson, Andy Milne, and Dan Weiss in promotion of his album FoMo. For three weeks, he was in Australia to promote FoMo. He performed at the Brisbane Jazz Festival and Melbourne Jazz Festival. His ensemble was also artist-in-residence for the Queensland Conservatorium. He has performed all over Europe, North America and South America.
Nachoff won a Chalmers Fellowship in 2007, the 2004 KM Hunter Award for Music, was a semifinalist in Thelonious Monk Jazz Saxophone Contest, and was a finalist in Canada Council Jazz I.D. Showcase was nominated for several Canadian National Jazz Awards including Clarinetist and Saxophonist of the Year in 2007 and 2008. He was nominated as part of Hilario Duran’s Bigband for Best Contemporary Jazz Album (2008) and won a Juno Award.
He has recorded and performed as a sideman with Kenny Werner and Howard Johnson, Don Thompson, Kenny Wheeler, Kenny Wheeler, Tim Hagans, Dave Binney and Kenny Wheeler.
He was a coach at the Banff Center for the Arts, and he also taught at the University of Toronto (Toronto) and Humber College (Toronto). His ensemble was artists-in residence at the Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane, Australia. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Music Performance.