Claire Devlin is a Montreal-based saxophonist and composer. Since 2016 Claire has led her own group, the Claire Devlin Quartet, and in 2020 she released her debut album, “Anyone”. Claire is a member of several ensembles, including the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra, the Sarah Rossy Chamber Ensemble, the Plastic Waste Band, Bellbird, and Jean-Michel Leblanc’s Variétés Narratives, and she performs regularly with the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, Rommel Ribeiro, Thus Owls, and the Equal Jazz Orchestra.
Claire grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, and started playing saxophone at the age of 12. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Rising Young Star award at the Prince Edward County Jazz Festival. Soon after, she moved to Montreal to study music at McGill University. Claire attended the Banff Jazz & Creative Music Workshop in 2017 where she met and studied with several renowned musicians including Vijay Iyer, Linda Oh, Tyshawn Sorey, Jen Shyu, and Stephan Crump. In 2020, Claire received a master’s degree in Jazz Performance and Composition at McGill University. In the ten years since moving to Montreal, Claire has performed with many accomplished musicians such as John Hollenbeck, Christine Jensen, Linda Oh, Jean-Michel Pilc, Okkyung Lee, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jen Shyu, Anna Webber, and Matt Mitchell.
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Claire Devlin est une saxophoniste et compositrice basée à Montréal. Depuis 2016, Claire dirige son propre groupe, le Claire Devlin Quartet, et en 2020 elle a sorti son premier album, "Anyone". Claire est membre de plusieurs ensembles, y compris l'Orchestre national de jazz du Canada, l'ensemble de chambre Sarah Rossy, le Plastic Waste Band, Bellbird et les Variétés Narratives de Jean-Michel Leblanc, et elle se produit régulièrement avec l'Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, Rommel Ribeiro, Thus Owls et le Equal Jazz Orchestra.
Claire a grandi à Ottawa, en Ontario, et a commencé à jouer du saxophone à l'âge de 12 ans. En 2012, elle a reçu le prix « Rising Young Star » au Prince Edward County Jazz Festival. Peu de temps après, elle est partie à Montréal pour étudier la musique à l'Université McGill. Claire a participé au Banff Jazz & Creative Music Workshop en 2017 où elle a rencontré et étudié avec plusieurs musiciens renommés tels que Vijay Iyer, Linda Oh, Tyshawn Sorey, Jen Shyu et Stephan Crump. En 2020, Claire a obtenu un master en interprétation jazz et composition à l'Université McGill. Depuis dix ans qu'elle vit à Montréal, Claire a joué avec de nombreux musiciens accomplis tels que John Hollenbeck, Christine Jensen, Linda Oh, Jean-Michel Pilc, Okkyung Lee, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jen Shyu, Anna Webber et Matt Mitchell.
Discography ;; Discographie
As a leader
2023 | Bellbird - “Root In Tandem” |
2020 | Claire Devlin Quartet - “Anyone” |
As a sidewoman
2022 | Thus Owls – “Who Would Hold You If The Sky Betrayed Us” |
2022 | Jean-Michel Leblanc – “Intriqué” |
2021 | Rommel Ribeiro – “Karawara” |
2020 | Jean-Michel Leblanc – “Variétés Narratives” |
2020 | Plastic Waste Band – “Revelations EP” |
2019 | Sarah Rossy – “The Conclusion” |
2019 | Plastic Waste Band – “Crushed” |
2017 | Plastic Waste Band – “Plastic Waste Band” |
2016 | Beth McKenna Jazz Orchestra – “Home: Montreal” |
2016 | Nic Gaumond Octet – “The Nic Gaumond Octet Cometh!” |
2015 | Beth McKenna Jazz Orchestra – “Start” |
Performance Highlights ;; Spectacles Majeurs
2023 | Bellbird – Ontario/Quebec Tour
Festi Jazz Mont Tremblant, Silence (Guelph), DROM Taberna (Toronto), Tranzac (Toronto), Minotaure (Gatineau), La Sala Rossa (Montreal) |
2023 | Featured Guest with the McGill Jazz Orchestra IITanna Hall (Montreal) |
2023 | Featured Guest at the Brandon University Jazz FestivalLorne Watson Recital Hall (Brandon) |
2023 | Ottawa SuiteGreat Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa) |
2022 | Jazzlab Orchestra – Outremont Theatre (Montreal) |
2022 | Jazzlab Orchestra – Palais Montcalm (Québec City) |
2022 | Jazzlab Orchestra – Canada Tour
Jazz Bistro (Toronto), Yardbird Suite (Edmonton), Bassment (Saskatoon), Frankie’s (Vancouver), BuckingJam Palace (Calgary) |
2022 | Jazzlab Orchestra – Europe Tour
Italy : Social Theatre Valenza, Museo Nazionale di Matera, Délégation du Vietnam (Turin), Jazz Club Latina France : Galerie Depardieu (Nice), Couleurs Jazz (Paris), Sunset/Sunside (Paris) Switzerland : Kunsthaus Glarus |
2022 | Father John Misty – MTELUS (Montreal) |
2022 | Thus Owls – Residency at La Chappelle (Montreal) |
2022 | Plastic Waste Band – Ontario/Quebec Tour (Montreal, Toronto) |
2022 | Christine Jensen’s Equal Orchestra - Montreal International Jazz Festival |
2022 | Thus Owls - Sala Rossa (Montreal) |
2022 | Canadian National Jazz Orchestra - Jack Singer Concert Hall (Calgary) |
2022 | Claire Devlin Quartet – West Coast Tour
University of Calgary, Hermann’s Jazz Club (Victoria), Frankie’s Jazz Club (Vancouver), Yardbird Suite (Edmonton), BuckingJam Palace (Calgary) |
2021 | Orchestre National de Jazz de Montréal feat. Marie-Josée Simard |
2021 | Christine Jensen Tentet - Ottawa Jazz Festival |
2021 | Christine Jensen’s Equal Orchestra - Place Des Arts (Montreal) |
2019 | Orchestre National de Jazz de Montréal feat. Maggi Olin and Christine Jensen |
2019 | Jean-Michel Pilc’s Improvisation Workshop Project - Le Ministère (Montreal) |
2019 | Christine Jensen’s Equal Orchestra - Ottawa Jazz Festival |
2019 | John Hollenbeck’s McCQ feat. Anna Webber and Matt Mitchell - Ottawa Jazz Festival |
2019 | “Invisible Ink” with Jean-Michel Pilc - Upstairs Jazz Bar |
2019 | McClaudia Quintet with Linda Oh and John Hollenbeck - Café Resonance |
2018 | John Hollenbeck’s “McClaudia Quintet” (Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal) |
2018 | Claire Devlin Quartet - Ottawa Jazz Festival |
2017 | Okkyung Lee - the Stone (NYC) |
2017 | JM Jazz World Orchestra with Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Unicredit Pavilion (Milan, Italy) |
2016 | Jean-Michel Pilc’s “Songs Poject” Group (Toronto, Montreal) |
2016 | Orchestre National de Jazz de Montréal feat. Al McLean and Jean-Michel Pilc - L'Astral |
2016 | Beth McKenna Jazz Orchestra - L'Astral |
2015 | Beth McKenna Jazz Orchestra - Sala Rossa |
2014 | Claire Devlin Sextet - Montreal International Jazz Festival |
Awards ;; Prix
2019 | Canadian Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC) |
2019 | International Graduate Mobility Award (McGill) |
2018 | Schulich Graduate Scholarship (McGill) |
2015 | Nominated for the Oscar Peterson Grant for Jazz Performance (Hnatyshyn Foundation) |
2014 | Instrument Jazz Summer Session, Full Scholarship (Domaine Forget) |
2013 | Grace Evelyn Tuttle Scholarship (McGill University) |
2013 | "Take Five Plus Five" Harvey and Louise Glatt Scholarship Award (Ottawa Jazz Festival) |
2012 | J.W. McConnell Scholarship (McGill University) |
2012 | Bill Shuttleworth Memorial Scholarship (Capital Region Music Festival) |
2012 | Rising Young Star Award (Prince Edward County Jazz Festival) |