Born in Montréal, raised in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, clarinetist Dr. Jossée MacInnis is an active performer, composer, and teacher in the heart of Montréal. A versatile performer, she plays a wide variety of genres ranging from classical and contemporary to jazz, and klezmer. She has performed in Atlantic Canada, Montréal, Toronto, and Brazil.

MacInnis’s interest in middle eastern music, klezmer and jazz has led her to collaborate with London Ontario based ensemble, Light of East Ensemble specializing in the folk music of Greece, Turkey, and surrounding regions. With Light of East Ensemble, she has performed at the 25th Annual Mill Race Folk festival in Cambridge Ontario, the Hamilton World Music Festival and performed in a collaborative concert with the London Symphonia in London, Ontario. In 2019, she formed ensemble Kallisto, a Montréal based klezmer/jazz manouche fusion septet consisting of clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello, two guitars, double bass, and percussion. Dr. MacInnis performs and composes for Kallisto and under her direction, they have been featured in various performances, such as the Syli d’Or competition, and have recorded their first EP, Ursa Minor in 2020 and their second EP, Arcas in 2022.

As an interpreter of contemporary music, Dr. MacInnis has been involved in many projects and performances, including workshops at the Toronto Creative Music Lab and the Montréal Contemporary Music Lab in 2016-2018. She has performed notable repertoire such as Webern’s op. 22 quartet, Partiels by Gérard Grisey, and Pimpin’ by Jacob TV. Between the years of 2015 and 2019 Ms. MacInnis founded and directed contemporary chamber music ensemble, Ensemble Atlantica, consisting of flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, viola, and voice, conducted by French saxophonist and composer, Baptiste Boiron. Ensemble Atlantica commissioned over twenty new compositions by Canadian and International emerging composers debuted in performances across Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Ensemble Atlantica’s first album, Mnemonic Verses was recorded in 2018 and features all new works by emerging composers, including a piece written by Dr. MacInnis titled Moon Phases.

As a teacher, Jossée has worked with community programs such as the New Horizons Band at Western University and currently teaches clarinet and wind ensemble at Share the Warmth in Montréal’s point saint-Charles neighbourhood. She has taught clarinet and music fundamentals at children camps such as the interprovincial music camp in Ontario and Montréal University’s École LUMI summer music camp. Ms. MacInnis has also been engaged by École LUMI to teach music initiation for young children in the program for 6-year-old children. Her philosophy for teaching focuses on good fundamentals, the health of the body and creative expression. Her training in clarinet and instrumental pedagogy as well as music composition has allowed her to

compose new compositions and exercises for her students with expertise in teaching beginners and young children.

Ms. MacInnis holds an artist’s diploma from the University of Montréal, a master’s degree in clarinet performance from the University of Western Ontario and an undergraduate degree from Mount Allison University. Her teachers and mentors include Dr. Jana Starling, Dr. Colleen Richardson, John Hess, Martin Carpentier, Dr. James Kalyn, Jean-François Rivest, Mathieu Lussier, and the late Robert McCarthy. In 2022, she completed her studies with Martin Carpentier at the University of Montréal in the doctoral program in clarinet performance. Her doctoral research explores the influences of the traditional folk music from the Northern Coast of Colombia in the work of renowned Colombian composer and pedagogue, Victoriano Valencia. Currently, Jossée MacInnis is teaching and performing in the Montréal area.