Quotes

"I’ve only seen/heard a few solo sets from trumpeters like Peter Evans, Nate Wooley & Lester Bowie and this one was one
of the best. Right from the beginning Ms. Rampersaud was often playing two themes at the same time or alternating between higher and lower pitches, sometimes stark, sometimes on fire. Ms. Rampersaud switched two trumpets (a regular & a pocket trumpet) and used a variety of mutes. Ms. Rampersaud would add a mute at times to alter her sound, as well as using extending techniques like chirps, sputters, tongue-slapping outbursts and some flatulent sounds. Ms. Rampersaud sounded like she was in total control of her sound. She would employ some repeated patterns and then alter them as they were repeated. She was constantly switching registers, high & low, playing quietly and minimally in one section and then spinning out a quick stream of notes in the next section. Ms. Rampersaud is obviously a virtuoso on the trumpet and was constantly pushing herself to the limits. I look forward to hearing her again live at some point as well checking her out on disc."

- Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery - Review of FIMAV 2024
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“Trumpeter Nicole Rampersaud opened the festival with an expansive exploration of extended trumpet techniques and electronic interaction. Beginning with bird calls and muted forest cries, she employed both standard and soprano trumpet and extensive looping through multiple microphones to create a world of trumpets—lows, highs, and blips—expanding her clarion horn into its own soundworld.”

- Stuart Broomer, Musicworks review of Women From Space Festival

“The show began with a solo set from local trumpeter Nicole Rampersaud, who blew fitful runs of cascading melody augmented by vigorous muting action, alternately burnishing and dulling the trumpet’s sonority to wring as much tonal range as possible from the instrument. At times, she stopped blowing altogether and simply shook the trumpet violently, the rattling of its slides and valves ringing out frantically in the hushed room.”

- Mark Streeter, NOW Magazine

“The end of one piece featured a stunning trumpet solo from Nicole Rampersaud, bring a reaction of awe from the audience much like one might get from seeing Colin Stetson.”

- Michael Thomas, Grey Owl Point

“Nicole Rampersaud is simply an extraordinary trumpet player, and without a doubt – as they say – a talent deserving wider recognition. With amazing facility and, especially, control of techniques that extend her instrument’s timbral range in astonishing ways, Rampersaud methodically constructs fascinating forms through improvisation.”

- Scott Thomson, Artistic and General Director, Festival International de Musique Actuelle

“Toronto trumpeter Nicole Rampersaud’s buttery round tone and melodicism caught my ear in a solo set on Saturday afternoon, and in an ad hoc improvisation with William Parker, Ellwood Epps, and Scott Thomson.”

- Mike Chamberlain, Musicworks magazine review of Something Else! Festival

“Some of the individuals that made impact on my ears were Nicole Rampersaud with excruciatingly vivid trumpet playing…”

- Tom Sekowski, Live Music Report

Features

CBC Documentary - The Whalesong Project, CBC Radio
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CMC Résonance feature on Composer In Residence at EVERYSEEKER (formerly OBEY Convention), Résonance
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5 Questions to Nicole Rampersaud, I Care If You Listen
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Podcast Interviews

Crucial Listening #157
Fountains of ideas, mind blown in Rap City, candy wrapper responses. The New Brunswick-based trumpet player, improviser and composer discusses three important albums.
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Kreative Kontrol Ep. #817: Nicole Rampersaud and Off World
Nicole Rampersaud and Off World’s Sandro Perri discuss their respective new albums, Saudade and 3, how they first met in Toronto and where they each live now, barbecue liberation and Grub-a-Dub, swan songs and other bird activities, the sounds of nature and surprising people with the sounds of their instruments, being a dub bub and the role of a producer in songwriting, temporality and nostalgia, the maybe end of Off World and new solo Sandro music, touring together, other future plans, and much more.
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Industry Tactics with Friendly Rich [Pt. 2]
A rare live taping of Industry Tactics! From Sept 16th 2022, co-presented by Guelph Jazz Festival and IICSI (International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation).
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Northern Static with Pete Johnston
Episode 6 of Northern Static is a discussion and listening session with New Brunswick-based trumpeter and composer Nicole Rampersaud., Northern Static
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Industry Tactics with Friendly Rich
Episode 62 flowed like hot coffee on a humid summer afternoon. My chat with the jazz master herself, Nicole Rampersaud, who discusses her rise in music and upcoming move to the East Coast!, Industry Tactics with Friendly Rich
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