Canadian saxophonist Justin Massey is an interpreter of contemporary music based in Toronto, Canada. With an obsession of creating new sonorities and textures through the saxophone, Justin searches for obscure and unexplored sounds offered by the instrument and its unparalleled potential to create visceral and emotional music. Justin presents music of his generation in all of his performances by commissioning new repertoire and collaborating closely with composers in search of these new sounds, often through electronic manipulation of the saxophone. Recently, Justin has commissioned and premiered new works for saxophone and live electronics by Carolyn Borcherding, Brian Lee Topp, Jacob Sachs-Mishalanie, and Jason Charney. He is currently working in collaboration with Camila Agosto to create and perform the five movement Paracusia series for saxophone and live electronics.
In the past concert season, Justin has presented new works for saxophone at festivals and conferences in the United States, Canada, and Europe including SEAMUS, BEAMS, SPLICE! Fest, the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, Matera Intermedia Festival, the Marshall University New Music Festival, the West Fork New Music Festival, and the Ensemble Evolution residency at the Banff Creative Arts Centre.
Justin completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at West Virginia University. He has previously studied at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux, and has earned degrees from Bowling Green State University, the University of Alberta, and Grant MacEwan University. He has studied with Michael Ibrahim, Marie-Bernadette Charrier, John Sampen, Allison Balcetis, and William Street.
As a grant writer, Justin has received awards from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Edmonton Arts Council, the Edmonton Community Foundation, and the Government of Alberta. He is a multi-year recipient of the Winspear Fund Scholarship and the Friends of the Anne Burrows Music Foundation Scholarship.