Aaron Jensen is an award-winning Toronto-based composer, producer, performer, and clinician. His creative works have been premiered and recorded by several JUNO/GRAMMY award-winning artists (Randy Brecker, Mariah Carey, Natalie MacMaster, Bobby McFerrin, Evelyn Glennie, Ron Sexsmith, Heather Rankin, Cindy Cashdollar, and others); by celebrated choirs, such as the Elora Festival Singers (CANADA), Zvonky Praha (CZECHIA), The Swingles (U.K.), and Voices of Namibia (NAMIBIA); and by symphony orchestras including the TUCCA Philharmonic (BRAZIL), Orchestra Teatro Puccini, (ITALY) and Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg (FRANCE). He is currently developing an orchestral concert of his original works to be premiered in Tokyo by Countermeasure and the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, in May 2021. Jensen’s love of vocal music, obsession with language, and passion for interweaving musical genres can be heard throughout his body of work.
Jensen had the pleasure of acting as musical director, music producer, band leader, and composer for the nine-time Emmy award winning, Schitt’s Creek, for the final four seasons. His musical services have been called on for recording projects by Andrea Bocelli, Kevin Hearn, Bob Ezrin, and Barack and Michelle Obama. Aaron has contributed to platinum-selling, GRAMMY/JUNO award-nominated albums, and has received several international CARA awards and nominations for his original music including Best Song, Best Pop/Electronica Song, and Best Original Composition. Jensen has twice been recognized by the International John Lennon Songwriting Competition, including a grand prize win for Best Jazz Composition. His theatrical works have received five star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Audience Choice Award at Trafalgar 24 (Driftwood Theatre Co). As a freelance musical director/content creator, Jensen has launched successful campaigns for companies including Chapters/Indigo, Zoomer Media, 20th Century Fox, Cineplex, Major League Baseball, and Entertainment One. Since completing his studies in music composition at York University in 2006, Aaron has toured and recorded with the award-winning vocal ensembles Cadence, Countermeasure, Retrocity, and The Watch. Jensen is the Artistic and Musical Director of Countermeasure, the Artist-in-Residence at Beth Sholom Synagogue, an Associate Composer of the CMC, a recent Composer-in-Residence of the Canadian Men’s Chorus, and the Artistic Director Emeritus of SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival.
Discography
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- Brian Garten - GRAMMY Award-winning Mix Engineer (Whitney Houston, Justin Bieber, Rolling Stones)“I really enjoyed it, [Jensen’s “For Alice”]…very complex but still super musical and a great mix too!
- Canadian Choral Journal - Anacrusis“This past month, I have had a love affair with Canadian composer, Aaron Jensen’s new Centrediscs album, ‘From Sea to Sea’….Gorgeous, pitch perfect, beautiful relaxed vocal production, and effortless intonation. This recording is stellar….I often wonder what the future of choral music is; this album answers that question, recognizing and honouring our choral traditions while boldly and successfully experimenting in contemporary music and the avant garde.”
- Valerie Kolko – RARB (Recorded A Cappella Review Board)
Insanely creative and ORIGINAL .… Jensen expresses a new sophistication in vocal jazz. - Heather Bambrick — JazzFM Toronto .Our hero, Toronto-local Aaron Jensen — I can honestly say this, [he’s] one the most phenomenally talented individuals I have ever met.
- Andrea Warren Musicworks MagazineAaron Jensen’s compositions are innovative and beautiful. His career as a professional singer has made him an adept vocal writer; his choral compositions make use of full spectrums of vocal colour, and his text settings are thoughtful, whimsical, and always clever. The breadth of his experience is noteworthy, and the consistency of his successes, impressive.
- Mouth-Off RadioAll the arrangements are great, but Aaron Jensen’s ‘On the Street Where You Live’ rises to another level entirely…Jensen’s originals are also great. ‘Good Love’ is a particular standout.
- Rebecca Chrisite — RARB - RE Jensen's piece 'Oblong'.Possibly the best composition I’ve heard in nearly 15 years of following the scene.
- Canadian composer/professor, David Lidov“…of the highest standard! O.E.D. is a very good show — stimulating, psychologically complex and intelligent.”
- Notations Magazine - Summer 2015Jensen has an incredible ability to create layers within his pieces…Ingenious.
- Wholenote MagazineComposer/singer/impresario Aaron Jensen is leading the singing revolution.
- Workshop attendee“[Aaron]…opened our eyes to our potential and to the vocal palettes we could use together. He touched on so many things – internalizing rhythm, maintaining focus, manipulating sound, jumping off the page and into music together…”