Rachel Therrien

Rachel Therrien is a French-Canadian jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader. Three-time Grammy-nominated trumpeter, composer, producer, and bandleader. Known for her emotionally charged sound and fearless improvisation, Therrien crafts bold music at the intersection of contemporary jazz and Afro-diasporic traditions, blending Afro-Caribbean and Latin American rhythmic forms into a powerful, modern language. Based between New York City, Montreal, and Havana, her artistry is shaped by deep cultural immersion — and a mission: using jazz as a space for community, belonging, and dialogue.

A winner of the TD Grand Prize Jazz Award (Montreal International Jazz Festival) and the Stingray Rising Star Award, Therrien is also a multiple JUNO and ADISQ nominee. Her work has received international recognition through GRAMMY-nominated projects including Virtual Birdland with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Mundo Agua – Celebrating Carla Bley, and The Original Influencers: Dizzy, Chano & Chico.

As a leader, she has released ten albums, including her Latin Jazz Project (Mi Hogar / Mi Hogar II) which is a musical home built through collaboration and collective rhythm. She also explores intimacy and musical conversation through Dialogue Vol. I (2025) and Dialogue Vol. II (2026), her duo with Spanish pianist Albert Marqués (Chronograph Records). A sought-after artist worldwide, she has performed at Blue Note NYC, SFJAZZ, Birdland, Duc des Lombards, Lincoln Center SummerStage, and the Hollywood Bowl, while continuing to mentor the next generation teaching at NJCU and Christian McBride’s Jazz House Kids.