Burning Brass Band:
The Burning Brass Band is a feminist brass band based in Montreal and in operation since the summer of 2022. Composed exclusively of women and gender diverse people, this artistic project’s mission is to increase the place of women, trans, non-binary and queer people in the music scene.

Maryka Talbot, trumpet:
Originally from Ile-Bizard, Maryka Talbot began learning the trumpet at the Camp musical d’Asbestos (now known as Val-des-Sources) at the age of 7. It was during her many summers at music camp that she discovered a passion for playing in harmony, in big bands and in small ensembles, going from student to instructor, then to teacher thereafter.A graduate of a DEC in Music from Cégep Saint-Laurent in classical trumpet, Maryka is now a high school French teacher at Beaubois College. This does not prevent him from continuing to enjoy his passion for all that!During her musical career, she was a trumpet player in several orchestras, such as the West Island Youth Orchestra, the Montreal Youth Orchestra, the OVNI as well as the Video Games Orchestra, in which she is a member. also a singer at times!Maryka has taken part in several musical tours outside of Canada, going from Bordeaux to Cuba, where she also had the chance to play at the Jazz Café and record with her Latin band.If teaching is part of her daily life, showing young musicians that they have their place in the musical world is all the more essential in her eyes. The Burning Brass Band will, she hopes, be an ideal example for the musicians of tomorrow!

Chloe Taschuk, trombone:
Originally from Alberta, Chloe developed a passion for exploring all aspects of creating and performing music from the moment she touched a trombone.In high school, she developed a variety of skills, seizing every opportunity to play in various ensembles (orchestras, harmonies, jazz ensembles, drum corps, theater orchestras and show bands).In addition to her development of trombone interpretation, she also took the opportunity to develop diversified experiences, often trying new instruments (clarinet, euphonium and tuba). Chloe also has expertise in conducting, composition as well as music theory and music history.After high school and with the support of several scholarships and awards, Chloe moved to Montreal to earn her BA in classical trombone performance at McGill University, with a minor in music theory. In Montreal, she discovered a new passion for early music playing sackbut, contemporary music, as well as experimenting with sound recording and beat making.During her BAC, she discovered a passion for music education and decided to extend her studies to obtain a bachelor’s degree in music education, with the mission of training the next generation of musicians and supporting young women who wish to explore their musical passions.
Chloe is looking forward to embarking on a new experience with the Burning Brass Band, a group of exceptional female musicians with a mission to promote the representation of women and people from the plurality of gender in music.

Marie Ange Boislard, trombone:
Marie-Ange is a trombonist from Sherbrooke who has been based in Montreal for several years. She holds a DEC in classical trombone from the Cégep de Saint-Laurent and a Bachelor’s degree in musical performance (B.Mus Perf.) from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, for which she received several scholarships, including the entrance scholarship of the Dean of the Faculty of Music as well as the David D. Cohen scholarship awarded to a student in the field of brass instruments.

She has performed on the local and international scene, notably in Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Mexico, the United States and across Canada with various artists and musical ensembles.

On the classical side, she performs regularly with several regional orchestras such as the Orchester Symphonique de la Côte-Nord (OSCN) and is called upon to play with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra.

On the pop and jazz side, we could briefly hear her on the album “À qui le monde” by OGB (Original Gros Bonnet), in the Liberté-Anne Big band, in Les Sessions Jardins with the artist Caroline Savoie and soon in the albums of artists Nora Toutain and Roxane Reddy.

Reb Legault, drums:
A musician at heart since the age of 8, Rebecca began her musical journey as a pianist to devote herself to the trumpet and then to the drums. A graduate of the Cégep de St-Laurent in professional technique of music and song interpretation profile in drums, she studied under the tutelage of Francis Fillion and Mario Roy to then perfect her playing with Paul Brochu.

As part of her involvement with Full Circle Productions, as drummer, arranger and musical director, Rebecca has participated in several musicals such as Head over Heals, Six Degrees of Broadway Separation, Light the Lights, Harry Potter and Dream. of a summer night. AUTS McGill University and l’Épopée are also theater troupes with which she has collaborated.

Rebecca continued to earn experience. As part of musical tours in Cuba, Rebecca has played many times at the Jazz Café in Havana.

Accompanying artists, she has worked alongside Kevin Bazinet, Tommy Chaps, Georgette, Bel and Quinn, the graduates of the national circus school (Feuille après feuille) and many others.

Recipient of the Cmiekewitch music scholarships from Collège Beaubois from 2012 to 2015, Rebecca is currently a drum and piano specialist there. She has been transmitting her passion for music to young people for 5 years now.

Eli Lajoie, tenor sax:
Eli Lajoie is a saxophonist from Montreal performing locally and internationally. His playing is distinguished by an impressive technical skill, by a broad and powerful sound as well as an ease in improvisation.

She began her career at the Cégep de Saint-Laurent in jazz interpretation and continued at McGill University in the renowned jazz interpretation program from where she recently graduated with honors. During these years, she studied with saxophonists Alex Côté, Jean-Pierre Zanella, Rémi Bolduc and Donny Kennedy.

She has performed with various ensembles participating, among others, in the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Toronto Jazz Festival. We had the chance to hear her at drummer John Hollenbeck’s Aspirations concert. She distinguished herself as a soloist alongside saxophonist Rémi Bolduc with the Jazz Orchestra 1 of McGill University.

Stephanie Sens, barytone sax:
Steph Sens is a physiotherapist by profession, but music has always been a big part of her life.

After 12 years playing baritone saxophone in the Ovni Wind Orchestra, she jumped into the marching band repertoire with Montreal band The VanHornies. For 3 years she has been playing baritone sax and, for a year, trumpet.

For 2 years, Steph has also been playing in the Montreal jazz surf band The Grunions, mixing jazz, psycore, surf, bossa nova, rock and pop.

The idea of a feminist band made up only of women and people from gender diversity came to her mind in the summer of 2021.

The Burning Brass Band was born from a desire to diversify the Quebec music scene, to promote our talents and to create a space where it is good to flourish musically without being afraid that the latent misogyny of the music industry will jump on us!

Steph has been the band leader and baritone saxophonist of the Burning BRASs Band since October 2021.

Élizabeth Provencher, alto sax:
Originally from Victoriaville, saxophonist Élisabeth Provencher graduated from Cégep St-Laurent in professional music and song technique interpretation profile and from McGill University with honors in jazz interpretation.

She has been seen many times on the stages of several music festivals in Canada with different ensembles, such as the TUJF in Toronto, the JPL Jazzfest in Victoriaville and the Montreal Jazz Festival. She mainly performs with her group the EP Quintet across the province. She received a grant from the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec for the launch of her first album at l’Astral, Le monde adulte, which was released in June 2021. You could hear it on most jazz radio channels in Québec and in interviews at Quand le Jazz est là with Stanley Péan, Current Jazz, at Jazz Bazar and as well as at Ici Première Estrie. She was part of the Jazz en rafale live cam series: Cheffe de jazz in November 2021. She received a second grant from the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec for the creation of the music for her next album.

Émilie Fortin, trumpet:
Émilie Fortin’s artistic practice revolves around three axes: the creation of new repertoire through close collaboration between performer and composer, the exploration of new sounds through improvisation, and teaching.

Constantly seeking to enrich the trumpet repertoire, she has participated in the creation of over forty works. Her future and present collaborations explore physicality connection with training in body mime, dance and theater. In 2018, she created the soloist collective Bakarlari and serves as its artistic director. Dedicated to solo contemporary and creative music by offering concert experiences outside the traditional framework, Bakarlari is supported by Le Vivier Group.

She is a member of the Toronto-based ensemble Freesound, a collective of artist-creators dedicated to commissioning and presenting contemporary music in all its forms, and of ék, a mime and sound duo with trombonist Kalun Leung.

As an ardent defender of the representativeness of brass instruments and the democratization of contemporary music, Émilie advocates for these issues as a presenter for organizations and conferences such as IRCAM Forum 2021, UQAM (Gender Differences and Inequalities in Music in Quebec), the Vivier Interuniversitaire and at the Canadian League of Composers. She is also a founding member of the Burning Brass Band, an ensemble that aims to increase the place of women, trans, non-binary and queer people in the Montreal brass band scene.