Professor
Eastman School of Music
Rochester, NY
Multi-Juno award winning Canadian saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen has led a distinct voice to the international creative jazz scene for the last twenty-five years with her large and small ensemble compositions. She is thrilled to join forces with her sister, NY-based jazz master of trumpet and improvisation Ingrid Jensen in a reunion with her Canadian jazz orchestra. They will preform works from Christine's most recent jazz orchestra release, Harbour (Justin-Time Records 2024) . This album captures over a decade of her compositions and commissions, with Ingrid's improvisations infused throughout.
Ingrid has been hailed as one of the most gifted trumpeters of her generation. As a sought-out teacher, collaborator, and soloist, it is easy to see why the New York Times calls her “as versatile as she is vigorous.” They will be joined in concert by Gary Versace- piano, Steve Raegele-guitar, Jon Wikan- drums, along with a big band of leading improvisers at the forefront of the Canadian jazz scene.
“Always a compelling writer, capable of strong lyricism combined with harmonic invention and plenty of narrative twists and turns, Jensen’s music not only impresses on a first encounter, but reveals more with each and every listen.” – All About Jazz
As a Downbeat Critic’s Poll winner for Rising Star Big Band, Arranger, and Soprano Saxophonist, Christine Jensen is constantly in motion as an improviser, composer and bandleader. Her jazz orchestra recordings have gone on to win Juno awards, including Habitat (2014) and Treelines (2011). She also won for her latest small group recording Daymoon in 2024. She has been honoured as a two-time recipient of SOCAN’s Jazz Composer Award. Habitat received the coveted 5 stars in Downbeat, along with Jazz Album of the Year. In 2017, Jensen was awarded The Prix Oscar Peterson from the Montreal International Jazz Festival for her exceptional contributions to jazz in Canada.
Christine's music has taken her all over the world through commissioning, performance and conducting opportunities. In 2023 she was honoured to conduct and arrange for the HR Big band-Frankfurt with Mark Turner and his music. The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra released the suite East Meets West in 2024, where Jensen was commissioned to compose as well as being featured on saxophone, along with Vancouver composer and conductor Jill Townsend. Over the past decade she has been invited guest artist with Frost School of Music-UMiami, The New School, University of Michigan, UMO Jazz Orchestra-Finland, Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, and Luxembourg Jazz Orchestra.
Ingrid and Christine look forward to more colllaborations, with a concert February 2026 featuring their sounds along with Kris Davis and the NDR Big Band in Hamburg.
Ingrid is saught out around the world for her teaching. She is on faculty for trumpet and improvisation at Manhattan School of Music and City College in NYC. Christine is professor of jazz composition and leads the Eastman Jazz orchestra at the Eastman School of Music.
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The Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra w/Ingrid Jensen
Saturday, January 10, 2026
10:10 PM - 11:00 PM CST
