Émilie Fortin is an adventurous musician and teacher who explores every possible facet of the trumpet. A versatile performer, she is a freelancer for several ensembles and orchestras. She has contributed to the creation of over fifteen works internationally with various composers in an effort to enrich the repertoire of her instrument. She is also the artistic director of Bakarlari, a collective of soloists. She was a member of the band “The Funky Bastards” for 3 years, and has played with the Griffon Brass Band for 5 years. Active on the Montreal scene, she performs frequently in recital with  pianist Olivier Hébert-Bouchard and in free improvisation with clarinetist Charlotte Layec, while perfecting her craft on the baroque trumpet with Alexis Basque.

 

Originally from Abitibi-Témiscamingue, she studied at the Conservatory of Music of Val-d'Or with Frédéric Demers. She then received a bachelor's degree in classical performance with Lise Bouchard at Université de Montréal. In 2017, she completed her Masters degree at McGill University under the direction of Russell DeVuyst.

 

Perfecting her craft with great masters such as James Watson, Karen Donnely, Thierry Champs and Peter Evans, Émilie always seeks to excel in her personal practice. It is with this in mind that she has notably participated in the soundscape Festival (Italy), Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance and Practice (Boston) and at the Toronto Creative Music Lab. She has worked with, among others, the International Contemporary Ensemble members (Banff Center for the Arts), Fifth House Ensemble (Fresh Inc. Festival) and Vinko Globokar (Laboratorium).

 

Firmly believing that pedagogy is an integral part of performance, Émilie is a teacher in various secondary schools in the region as a specialist. She has also had the opportunity to teach the trombone, trumpet and music theory in Croix-des-Bouquets and Jacmel (Haïti) with the Ambassadors for now three years. During the 2017-2018 season, she developed her focus on community engagement and teaching with The Global Leaders program, where she was one of 35 people selected for an international cohort of enterprising young musicians. This allowed her to be a visiting professor in Bolivia (Conservatorio Plurinacional de Mùsica), Chile (Viva la Mùsica Panguipulli), Panama (Orquestra Veragüense de Vientos) and Washington (DC Youth Orchestra Program).