Rachel Therrien

Internationally acclaimed trumpeter, composer, producer and bandleader Rachel Therrien boasts an impressive career distinguished by versatility, creativity, and a highly personal musical signature. A GRAMMY nominee for Virtual Birdland (2021) with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Therrien has also earned three ADISQ nominations (for Mi Hogar (2023), her production work on Noé Lira’s Latiendo la Tierra (2022), and VENA (2021)) and three JUNO nominations (for VENA (2021) and The Ostara Project (2022)).

Winner of the 2015 TD Grand Prize Jazz Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the 2016 Stingray Rising Star Award, she has captivated audiences worldwide with her emotionally charged performances and high-caliber improvisations. Therrien recently released her eighth album, Mi Hogar II (2025), an internationally acclaimed project recorded in Montreal, Toronto, and New York City with 25 world-class musicians.

A native of Rimouski, Quebec, Therrien draws from a wide range of influences across North and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. She has performed with legends such as Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Claudio Roditi, Paquito D’Rivera, Lee Konitz, Pedrito Martinez, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Mariachi Flor de Toloache, Ken Peplowski, Skah Shah, and many others. The Shilke artist’s collaborations span jazz clubs, concert halls, and international festivals.

Therrien holds a Master’s degree from New Jersey City University (NJCU) and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Montreal, both in Jazz Performance. She also holds a diploma in Arts Management and a Music Certificate from Havana’s Instituto Superior de Arte, where she studied Latin jazz, classical trumpet, percussion, and Cuban music history. She further honed her craft at the 2012 Banff Centre’s Jazz and Creative Music Workshop under Dave Douglas and Vijay Iyer, and with mentors such as Laurie Frink, Michael Rodriguez, Jonathan Finlayson, and Ralph Alessi.

As a bandleader, she has released eight albums, including On Track (2011), Home Inspiration (2014), Pensamiento: Proyecto Colombia (2016), Why Don’t You Try (2017), VENA (2020), Mi Hogar (2023), CAPI: Les poèmes de Charles L. Therrien en Musique (2024), and Mi Hogar II (2025). She has performed as a leader in Canada, the USA, Colombia, Mexico, France, Spain, Ukraine, and Germany. Her tours have brought her to prestigious stages including Blue Note New York, Dizzy’s Club, Lincoln Center SummerStage, Montreal International Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, Duc des Lombards, Juan-les-Pins Jazz Festival, Polanco Jazz Festival, and many more.

In addition to her work as a performer, Therrien has emerged as a notable producer for other artists, including Manon Mullener (Stories), Anamaria Oramas (Ramas Lejanas), Noé Lira (Latiendo la Tierra), and La Peluda (Caídas). She is also an active advocate for the jazz community. In 2013, she founded the Montreal Jazz Composers Series at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, providing a platform for over 200 emerging Canadian and American musicians.

Rachel Therrien believes that “Jazz is a philosophy of conversation between musicians from different backgrounds through improvisation — and it is our mission to keep that spirit alive for future generations.”