Mark DeJong
Saxophone
Mark DeJong is a saxophonist, composer, and bandleader and currently teaches at the Mount Royal University Conservatory. He holds degrees in saxophone performance from the University of Calgary, (BMus) and jazz performance from Rutgers University (MMus).
Active as a performer and clinician throughout North America, Mark has numerous recording credits and appearances at festivals across the country. He is the founder of MusicConnect, which recently featured multiple Grammy award-winning composer/pianist Gil Goldstein at the Bella Concert Hall. He is the co-leader of Calgary's Redline Trio, whose 2024 recording Underdog won YYCMusic Jazz Album of the Year. He was recently featured as a soloist performing the music of Joni Mitchell with Sarah Slean and the Vancouver Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic and the Saskatoon Symphonies. He has also been featured as a soloist with Juno-winning vocalist Laila Biali, the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra, the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, and Canada's iconic Shuffle Demons, on their tour of Panama and Cuba. He appeared as a feature artist at the World Expo in Shanghai, China, as well as the Blue Note, New York. Over the course of his career he has shared the stage with Ray Charles, Gil Goldstein, Lenny Pickett, Wayne Bergeron, Laila Biali, Dee Daniels, David Braid, Kenny Wheeler, Brad Turner, Dean McNeil, Caity Gyorgy, Campbell Ryga, Ian Tyson, Wayne Newton, Rob McConnell, Moe Koffman, Ralph Bowen, Sean Jones, Hugh Fraser, Tommy Banks, PJ Perry and many others.