Jean-Sébastien Leblanc

Originally from Stoke in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Jean-Sébastien Leblanc holds a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance as well as two Master’s degrees (Jazz Performance and Classical Performance) on clarinet and bass clarinet from the University of Montréal (where he studied under Simon Stone, Martin Carpentier and André Moisan).

Highly active on the Quebec music scene, he has performed in a wide variety of styles over the years, notably leading his own groups, Early Jazz Band and Masson Stomp, while also collaborating with the Afro-Colombian Jazz Orchestra, Speakeasy Electroswing, the Cosmovision label, the trio Straight Pipe, Marco Calliari, Roberto Lopez, Frédéric Péloquin, and working as a musical director, composer, arranger, instrumentalist, and singer with The 7 Fingers, in addition to freelancing with various ensembles. He has performed throughout Quebec, including appearances at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Festival d'été de Québec, Francos de Montréal, Rimouski International Jazz Festival, and Just for Laughs, as well as across Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Switzerland, Romania and South Korea.

He is a regular studio musician, recording for artists across various genres, circus companies (Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, and The 7 Fingers), musicals (Peter Pan), film scores (collaborating with composers such as Robert-Marcel Lepage, Michel Corriveau, Luc Sicard, Raphaël Reed, and Peter Venne), and a wide variety of advertisements. Driven by a desire to share his passion, he teaches jazz clarinet and other improvisational music styles at the University of Sherbrooke, clarinet (jazz and classical) and chamber music at the Cégep de Trois-Rivières, and also works privately with students in the music programs of Ozias-Leduc High School, Collège Reine-Marie, and Polyvalente Ste-Thérèse. 

He’s an active musician with the Société pour les Arts en Milieu de Santé (La SAMS) since 2013, he regularly performs in seniors’ residences, long-term care facilities, and healthcare institutions with the Early Jazz Band. Deeply connected to the swing and blues dance scene, he has been energizing dance floors since 2009 at events organized by swing schools throughout Quebec, Canada, the United States, and even Europe. In 2026, he composed the music for his first puppet theatre production, Baba, produced by the Montreal’s theatre L’Illusion