Audrey Ochoa

Audrey Ochoa

Audrey Ochoa is a trombonist and composer whose work defies easy categorization. Unbound by rigid ideas of genre or delivery, she pairs meticulous, influential compositions with a playful and liberated approach. Classically trained yet driven by a deep curiosity across styles, Ochoa has built a career rooted in versatility, originality, and craft.

She has shared the stage with leading Canadian artists including Hilario Durán, PJ Perry, and Tommy Banks, as well as international greats such as members of the Dave Matthews Band, Lew Tabackin, Marcus Miller, Chris Potter, and the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band. A fixture of the Canadian music scene and a rising force internationally, Ochoa is widely recognized for her commanding musicianship and distinctive compositional voice. As critic Keith Black of the Winnipeg Free Press noted, she is “a musician with endless confidence and skill, navigating varying moods and tempi within a trio that is always in sync.”

Ochoa’s debut album, Trombone and Other Delights (2013), received widespread acclaim and spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Canadian jazz charts. Her sophomore release, Afterthought (2017), further showcased her mastery of arrangement and musical storytelling, earning another No. 1 spot in Canada and breaking into the Top 20 on U.S. jazz charts. Her work has been recognized by the Western Canadian Music Awards, the Global Music Awards, and the Edmonton Music Prize for outstanding contribution to the local arts community.

With Frankenhorn (2020), Ochoa expanded her sonic palette by exploring arrangements for strings alongside horns and rhythm section. The album reached No. 1 on both Canadian and U.S. campus jazz charts during the pandemic and marked a bold step forward in scope and ambition. Her follow-up release, The Head of a Mouse (2023), brought her well-earned recognition among peers and led to a 2025 JUNO Award nomination.

Her upcoming release, The Sorceress (2026), continues to highlight Ochoa’s versatility, craftsmanship, and unmistakable sense of play. Refusing to be pigeonholed, she offers a listening experience that moves fluidly through swing, groove, and Latin traditions, including Cuban and Brazilian influences. On this record, listeners hear more of her sultry vocals than ever before, as she steps out from behind the horn on four tracks.

Exhilarating, exuberant, and deeply skilled, Audrey Ochoa exemplifies an artist devoted to excellence without sacrificing joy or curiosity. With a fresh, confident voice and a growing body of work, she stands firmly as a vital presence in the Canadian jazz landscape.