Quinsin Nachoff

Quinsin Nachoff is a composer and saxophonist who writes for ensembles of varying scale, often shaping the music around the specific performers who will play it. He is equally engaged in composition and improvisation, and frequently performs in the music he leads. Based in Brooklyn and originally from Toronto, his recent work includes long-term collaborations with scientists and filmmakers, alongside concert and chamber projects.

Among Nachoff’s projects is the JUNO-nominated group Flux, featuring alto saxophonist David Binney, pianist Matt Mitchell, and drummers Kenny Wollesen and Nate Wood. His double album Path of Totality (Whirlwind Recordings, 2019) received a 4.5-star review in DownBeat. He has written concert works for classical ensembles, including Winding Tessellations, a saxophone concerto commissioned by Turning Point Ensemble. His album Pivotal Arc (Whirlwind Recordings, 2020) comprises a violin concerto written for Grammy-winning violinist Nathalie Bonin, a string quartet for Montréal’s Molinari String Quartet, and a large ensemble piece.

Stars and Constellations (Adhyâropa Records, 2023) pairs the Bergamot Quartet and The Rhythm Method string quartets with a jazz trio featuring bassist Mark Helias and drummer Dan Weiss. JazzTrail described the album as “finding an exceptional connection between improvisation and notated music, Nachoff continues to forge a path of his own, moving in a revelatory line of action that separates him from other creatives.”

Patterns from Nature, released by Whirlwind Recordings in 2026, brings together music, physics, and film through a multi-year collaboration with physicist Stephen Morris and filmmakers Tina de Groot, Lee Hutzulak, Gita Blak, and Udo Prinsen. Scored for chamber orchestra with featured soloists, it premiered in New York at Hunter College and in Toronto at the Isabel Bader Theatre in 2023. The work features pianist Matt Mitchell, percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, the Molinari String Quartet, clarinetist François Houle, bassist Carlo De Rosa, trombonist Ryan Keberle, and Nachoff as featured voices across its four movements. In its review of the album, Step Tempest described Nachoff as “a thoughtful writer, an adventurous arranger, and a powerful soloist.”

In addition to his own projects, Nachoff performs regularly in New York’s creative music scene, including appearances with ensembles led by Darcy James Argue, Elio Villafranca, and Miggy Miyajima, among others.

His music is shaped by long-form thinking and close collaboration with performers, with each piece defining its own balance between architecture and freedom.

Tags