2019’s “Best Jazz Instrumentalist” (San Francisco Classical Voice Best of the Bay), Justin Ouellet has garnered a reputation as a fearless performer and dedicated educator in the Bay Area. In addition to cultivating an accomplished career as a classical musician on both violin and viola, Ouellet moves effortlessly between a multitude of genres and styles such as Jazz, R&B, Funk, Blues, Hip-Hop, Rock, Flamenco, and Jazz Manouche. Ouellet collaborates with an array of Bay Area artists including Patrick Anseth, Kev Choice, Dame Drummer, Dave Ellis, Aaron Germain, Erik Jakebson, Jennifer Johns, Josh Jones, Cava Menzies, Rob Reich, Geechi Taylor and Howard Wiley, and has appeared with notable musicians such as Air Traffic Controller, Mani Draper, Mark Erelli, Martin Luther McCoy, Meernaa, Jónsi and Alex Somers, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and iZion. He has performed jazz and cross-over repertoire at celebrated venues including Yoshi’s, Davies Symphony Hall, Grace Cathedral, Noe Valley Chamber Music, San Jose Jazz and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and is a regularly featured artist with the Kev Choice Ensemble, d'PaJo and Anna Laura Quinn-tett. As a classical orchestral and chamber musician, Ouellet has appeared throughout the United States in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and Philadelphia Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. He has toured internationally to Austria, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico and Switzerland, and has played under the batons of conductors such as multi-Emmy Award-winning Gerard Schwarz, Grammy Award-winning John McLaughlin Williams, Susan McMane and Arnie Roth. He is a recipient of the 2018-19 Academy of Gospel Music Award for his achievement in Arts education as Co-director of Orchestral & Chamber Music Studies at Oakland School for the Arts. His debut album “Episodes of an Aquarius: The 25th Street Sessions” was released in the fall of 2019, as well as second album released with his group d'PaJo in 2021 titled "the d"PaJo Sessions". He can also be heard on projects by artists including Roscoe Mitchell, Boy Scouts, Dave Godowsky, Undercover Presents, Cava Menzies, Jeff Kolhede, Ash Powell, and on Anna Laura Quinn’s debut album “I Feel the Sudden Urge to Sing” which Ouellet co-produced. As an educator, Ouellet celebrated seven years at Oakland School the Arts as the co-director of strings, chamber music and orchestral department. In addition, he has coached for the California Youth Symphony, Pacific Boys Choir, Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and assistant coach for Geoffrey Michaels at the Philadelphia International Music Festival to name a few. Upcoming releases this spring include his sophomore solo project, catalog of Don Walker, Hildegard project, as well as a project with Ian Santillano.

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CLASSICAL BIO 

As a classical artist Justin has collaborated with some of the world’s leading players including Wayne Lin, Emil Miland, Julian Schwarz, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, as well as members of the Neave & Rawlins Piano Trios, Alexander & Hausmann Quartets, violinist/violist Justin Ouellet is quickly garnering a reputation as a top performer of chamber, orchestral and contemporary repertoire. He has worked with an array of conductors including the award winning Gerard Schwarz, John McLaughlin Williams, Susan McMane and Arnie Roth. As an orchestral & chamber musician, Justin has performed throughout the United States in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and internationally in the countries of Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Puerto Rico & Switzerland. Locally, Justin has performed as a soloist | recitalist | guest artist at the Noe Valley Chamber Music Series, Grace Cathedral, Live at Mission Blue, Noontime Concerts, Old First Concerts, Savage Jazz Dance Company, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, & 405Shrader. Residencies, fellowships & summer festivals include the Atlantic Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival, Festival of Youth Symphonies of Americas, St. Mark’s International Music Festival, PARMA New Music Festival, as well as the Philadelphia International Music Festival. As an educator, Ouellet celebrated seven years at Oakland School the Arts as the co-director of strings, chamber music and orchestral department. In addition, he has coached for the California Youth Symphony, Pacific Boys Choir, Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and assistant coach for Geoffrey Michaels at the Philadelphia International Music Festival to name a few. Upcoming releases this spring include his sophomore solo project, catalog of Don Walker, Hildegard project, as well as a project with Ian Santillano.