drawing upon the breath and beat of flute and body, justine lee hooper exhales sentiments of past, present, and future by accessing defining nuances of acceptance, freedom, grief, hope, joy, rage, and reciprocity. performances by justine often invoke the vast interdisciplinary repertoire and legacy of black and gender-expansive creatives, using interpolation, improvisation, and electronics to pigment distinct perspectives of sound. an invitation is extended to listeners to self-reflect in the mirrors of comfort and discomfort.

justine made their jazz debut with a hubert laws transcription in 2011 short film kuvuka daraja, a work selected for the international black women’s film festival and the zanzibar international film festival. they have been awarded grants and residencies from friends of flutes foundation and soaring gardens artists retreat. justine gave the 2021 performance keynote speech for mcgill university’s music graduate symposium, presenting excerpts aside: the future versatile performer, a talk envisioning the music world since covid, highlighting various interdisciplinary art and performances created during the pandemic, and taking a careful magnifying glass to the foundations and speculative longevity of the world’s most prestigious arts institutions, all from the intimate lens of a former arts administrator living at the intersections of marginalized class, disability, gender, and race. justine has also spoken on and contributed to an archival of hip-hop flute samples, research, and pedagogical practice with fellow flutists ashley “flutebae” crawford and dr. brittany trotter, presented at the midwest clinic, the national flute association, and the umoja flute institute.

informed by three generations of lineage to new york city and in strong belief that students are some of life’s best teachers, justine has taught the flute and general music as a whole person offering to students at public, private, and charter schools in brooklyn, ithaca, new orleans, the south bronx, and queens, as well as at assisted living facilities and day programs supporting the wellbeing of individuals with developmental disabilities.

justine was named a semifinalist in the 2022 petrichor international music competition for improvisation with their debut ep, soundbath sessions. they play on a handmade haynes flute with a gold/silver/platinum haynes fusion headjoint. justine performs with and composes for new york city’s only queer and trans salsa band, las mariquitas, which is “reimagining salsa and challenging the patriarchy” (rolling stone). justine is on the jazz committee of the national flute association, and they are an artist for cloudvocal wireless audio technology. justine has performed for the united nations and has been acknowledged by the new york times and playbill for their meditative performances, and has collaborated with artists such as duendita, joy guidry, key glock, sara ramírez, and solange.