Benjamin Deschamps

BIOGRAPHY

​Benjamin Deschamps is a versatile Montreal-based musician, known as a saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. He was awarded the Grand Prize at the Festi Jazz de Rimouski in 2013, named Radio-Canada Jazz Revelation for 2017–18, and received the TD Grand Jazz Award from the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2019. His fourth album, Augmented Reality (2021), won the Opus Prize for Best Jazz Album in 2023.

As a bandleader, he has released five albums and performed his music across Canada, the United States, France, Belgium, and Germany. He has also toured in over 20 countries and collaborated with artists such as Jacques Kuba Séguin, Rachel Therrien, the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal, and Jean-Michel Blais. He has taken part in pop and stage productions including Beautiful: The Music of Carole King, Forever Gentlemen, and Chicago.

Holding a master’s degree in jazz performance from McGill University, he currently teaches jazz arranging there and is also saxophone professor at Cégep Marie-Victorin. He serves as the executive and artistic director of Aleamusique, an organization dedicated to the creation, production, and dissemination of original music.​

AWARDS

​2025 – Nominee Opus Award, Best album Jazz, No Codes, Usual Suspects

2024 - Nominee Opus Award, Best concert Jazz, Benjamin Deschamps, Augmented Reality
2023 – Award Winner Opus Best album Jazz, Benjamin Deschamps, Augmented Reality
2019 - Nominee Opus Award Best concert Jazz, No Codes, No Codes
2019 - Grand Prix TD, FIJM, Benjamin Deschamps
2019 - Grand Prix Festival de Jazz de Victoriaville, Benjamin Deschamps Quintet
2018 - Nominee Stingray Rising Star Award, Festival de jazz de Halifax, Benjamin Deschamps Quintet, Demi-Nuit
2017 - Révélation Radio-Canada Jazz 2017-2018
2017 - Nominee Grand Prix TD du FIJM, Benjamin Deschamps Quintet, Demi-Nuit
2016 - Prix Création Jazz du Conseil des Arts de Montréal
2014 - Recipient of the prestigious Schulich Graduate Scholarship (Excellence Award), Master’s degree, McGill University​

2014 - Nominee Grand Prix TD, FIJM, Benjamin Deschamps Quartet, What Do We Know
2013 - Grand Prix du Festi Jazz de Rimouski, Benjamin Deschamps Quartet
2010 – Lallemand Bursary (Excellence Award), Bachelor’s degree, McGill University
2005 – Alcide Prize (Excellence Award), Department of Music, Collège Notre-Dame

FROM: QUEBEC, CANADA​

PROJECTS

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AUGMENTED REALITY

​Upcoming in 2027, Volume II

Augmented Reality, the fourth album of original music by saxophonist and composer Benjamin Deschamps, won the Opus Award for Jazz Album of the Year 2023. Presented across Canada, the United States, and Europe, the project explores an electrifying, powerful, and lyrical sound world, inspired by artists such as Donny McCaslin and Ben Wendel. A deeply introspective, mature, and boldly innovative musical statement.

MUSICIANS

• Benjamin Deschamps - composition/alto sax
• Nicolas Ferron - electric guitar
• Jonathan Cayer - piano/keyboards
• Sébastien Pellerin - electric bass/upright bass
• Al Bourgeois - drums

VIDEOS

​Unfinished Business - YouTube

Healing Chant - YouTube

Parallel Universe - YouTube​

AROUND WAYNE SHORTER​

​Benjamin Deschamps joins forces with Jean-Pierre Zanella, Frank Lozano, and François D’Amours to revisit the music of Wayne Shorter.

This saxophone quartet offers a refined and imaginative reinterpretation of the master’s compositions, blending nuance, creativity, and improvisation. A unique meeting of four saxophonists paying tribute to one of jazz’s greatest voices, in a vibrant and inspired concert experience.

MUSICIANS

• Benjamin Deschamps, saxophone soprano
• Jean-Pierre Zanella, saxophone alto
• Frank Lozano, saxophone ténor
• François D’Amours, saxophone baryton

NO CODES

​The instrumental jazz collective No Codes released its second album, Usual Suspects, in 2024. Building on a critically acclaimed debut, the group continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz, blurring the lines between composition and improvisation through a distinctly collective approach.

Driven by a strong creative freedom, Usual Suspects unfolds a bold sonic landscape where modern jazz, tradition, free jazz, and unexpected influences intersect. Balancing raw energy with more introspective moments, the album asserts a powerful artistic identity and solidifies No Codes’ place on today’s jazz scene.

MUSICIANS

• Benjamin Deschamps – alto sax / composition
• Frank Lozano – tenor sax / composition
• Sébastien Pellerin – bass / composition
• Louis-Vincent Hamel – drums / composition​

VIDEOS

The Quest

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​Usual Suspects

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​Dog Days

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​Presentation Video