ARTISTE JAZZ

Rachel Therrien is a Quebecer trumpeter, flugelhorn player, composer, and artistic director whose life is an invitation to travel, characterized by an insatiable quest for rhythms and cultural exchange. Born in Saint-Valérien and raised in Rimouski, in the Lower St. Lawrence region, she has transformed her Quebec roots into a passport to the world's most prestigious jazz stages.
 

The Formative Years and the Cuban Awakening

Nothing initially predestined the young musician to become an ambassador of Latin jazz, except perhaps her insatiable curiosity. After beginning rigorous studies in jazz performance at the University of Montreal, her life trajectory took a dramatic turn in 2008. She flew to Cuba to study at the demanding Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana. This stay proved to be a true cultural and aesthetic shock. Afro-Cuban polyrhythms became deeply ingrained in her trumpet playing, dictating the course of her artistic development.
 

The Call of the Americas and a New York Root

Back in Canada, Rachel Therrien founded her first quintet in Montreal and began releasing her own music. However, her thirst for folklore and cultural fusion led her back on the road. She spent several months in Colombia, immersing herself in the traditional rhythms of the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, which gave birth to the concept album Pensamiento.
 

Driven by the desire to compete with the greatest, she then chose to settle in New York, the world epicenter of jazz. There she developed a vibrant double artistic life, constantly navigating between Quebec, the United States and Europe, while establishing herself as an indispensable sidewoman for Afro-Cuban jazz icons like Arturo O'Farrill.
 

A Committed and Versatile Artist

Beyond the stage, Rachel Therrien's life is marked by an unwavering commitment to women's place in the music industry. By joining elite all-female collectives like The Ostara Project and The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, she actively works to break glass ceilings in the historically male-dominated world of jazz. A cultural entrepreneur, she also leads numerous workshops and masterclasses around the world to share her passion with new generations.