Quinsin Nachoff

New York musician Quinsin Nachoff has carved out a unique career exploring the connection between the twin worlds of jazz and classical music, in a city that is equally renowned for both. Nachoff gained early recognition as an award-winning tenor saxophonist in his native Toronto, establishing a name as a formidable player “parsing shimmers of Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter and Mark Turner” (Downbeat). His individuality as a composer became evident on his 2006 debut Magic Numbers, with its groundbreaking blend of chordless jazz trio and string quartet. Since then, a consistently impressive output of albums, projects and commissions have demonstrated his willingness and ability to explore both worlds with equal conviction, whether through his 2017 appearance and commission, Winding Tessellations, with contemporary chamber group Turning Point Ensemble, his 2018 commission for the Molinari String Quartet, or his remarkable group Flux, which features the stellar talents of saxophonist David Binney, keyboardist Matt Mitchell, and drummers Kenny Wollesen and Nate Wood. The group’s 2019 Juno-nominated album, Path Of Totality, received worldwide acclaim for its ambitious, immersive long-form pieces that blended intriguing compositional approaches with the passion and freedom of jazz improvisation. Nachoff’s 2020 release Pivotal Arc (Whirlwind Recordings) presented his most ambitious and acclaimed project yet: bringing together virtuoso violin soloist Nathalie Bonin with a jazz-inflected unit featuring two established giants of the NY scene, bassist Mark Helias and drummer Satoshi Takeishi, and adding the esteemed Molinari String Quartet and a wind ensemble to realize his unique crossover vision. Nachoff continues to compose, tour and record with an array of cutting-edge international artists while leading his own projects, including Flux, Ethereal Trio, Horizons Ensemble and Pyramid Project.