Originally from Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Gabriel Genest is a saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, composer, and arranger based in Montreal since 2013.
In 2020, he earned a master’s degree in Jazz Performance from McGill University, studying under Frank Lozano, Rémi Bolduc, and Jean-Michel Pilc. During his studies, he also had the opportunity to learn composition and arranging from Jean-Nicolas Trottier, Joe Sullivan, John Hollenbeck, and John Roney.
Winner of the François-Marcaurelle Prize at the OFF Festival de Jazz de Montréal in 2021 for his debut album Triptyque, he released his second album, As It Is, under the ODD SOUND label in May 2024. The album was nominated for the Opus Prize for Jazz Album of the Year. With a distinctly modern aesthetic characterized by intricate rhythms, modal harmony, and refined melodies, his music draws inspiration from impressionist classical music, the mainstream jazz tradition, and the European jazz movement.
Gabriel regularly collaborates as a musician, composer, and arranger with other artists on the Montreal jazz scene, including the groups L’Abîme (contemporary jazz), Jomalé (modern jazz influenced by Colombian music), and Claude Hurtubise (chanson, jazz, world music). In addition to composing for his own projects, his works have been performed and recorded by the University of Montreal Big Band and McGill University’s Chamber Jazz Ensemble.
Gabriel is also a sought-after educator. Along with teaching woodwinds privately in his studio, he serves as the musical director of the Tonique Big Band and the educational director of the jazz program at the Camp Musical du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Since 2022, he has also been teaching mindfulness meditation.