Christine Jensen

Christine Jensen is a leading Canadian saxophonist and composer whose voice has shaped creative jazz for over twenty‑five years. Her acclaimed ensembles highlight her lyrical writing and bold improvisation, heard most recently on Harbour (2024), her third jazz orchestra album, which received its world premiere at the Unity Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center (2025).
A multi‑JUNO winner and DownBeat Critics Poll honoree, she continues to expand her reach through projects like her quartet’s Day Moon and the CODE Quartet’s Code Red. The Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra performed at the JEN Conference in New Orleans in 2026. She is the founding artistic director of the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra and teaches jazz composition while leading the Eastman Jazz
Ensemble. Read More

Christine Jensen est une saxophoniste et compositrice canadienne de premier plan dont la voix façonne le jazz créatif depuis plus de vingt‑cinq ans. Ses ensembles acclamés mettent en valeur son écriture lyrique et son improvisation audacieuse, entendues récemment sur Harbour (2024), son troisième album pour jazz orchestra, créé en première mondiale au Unity Festival au Jazz at Lincoln Center (2025).
Lauréate de plusieurs prix JUNO et reconnue au DownBeat Critics Poll, elle poursuit l’expansion de sa démarche artistique à travers des projets tels que Day Moon avec son quartet et Code Red du CODE Quartet. Le Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra s’est produit à la conférence JEN à La Nouvelle‑Orléans en 2026. Elle est la directrice artistique fondatrice de l’Orchestre national de jazz du Canada et enseigne la composition jazz tout en dirigeant l’Eastman Jazz Ensemble.

AWARDS

OPUS nomination for Code Red (Code Quartet) (2026)
ADISQ nomination for Harbour (2025)
JUNO nomination for Harbour (2025)
JUNO Award for Day Moon (2024)
Opus Award – Jazz Recording of the Year – Habitat -(2017)
Oscar Peterson Award – Festival Int. de Jazz de Montréal (2017)
SOCAN’s Hagood Hardy Prize (2015)
DownBeat Critics Poll – Rising Star/Arranger, Soprano Sax & Big Band
Four ADISQ nominations across multiple albums
JUNO Award for Habitat (2014)
Opus Award – Jazz Concert of the Year – Habitat – (2014)
Opus Award – Jazz Concert of the Year – Treelines – (2013)
JUNO Award for Treelines (2011)

RECORDINGS:

2025 — Code Red – CODE Quartet
2024 — Harbour – Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra
2023 — Day Moon – Christine Jensen Quartet
2017 — Under the Influence – Orchestre National de
Jazz de Montréal & Christine Jensen
2017 — Genealogy – CODE Quartet
2016 — Infinitude – Ingrid & Christine Jensen with
Ben Monder
2013 — Habitat – Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra
2010 — Treelines – Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra
2006 — Look Left – Christine Jensen
2002 — A Shorter Distance – Christine Jensen
2000 — Collage – Christine Jensen

Upcoming Shows – Christine Jensen Quartet

July 20–26, 2026 – Jazz Port Townsend Workshop and Festival
Centrum Campus, 223 Battery Way, Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA, USA

July 31, 2026 – Festi Jazz Mont-Tremblant
1098, rue De St-Jovite, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada

August 8, 2026 – North Hatley Jazz Festival
Christine Jensen Quartet featuring François Bourassa, Adrian Vedady & Rich Irwin
North Hatley, Quebec, Canada