Frederick Hemke
Encyclopedia
Frederick L. Hemke is an American
saxophonist
and Professor of Music at Northwestern University
School of Music
.
at the University of Rochester
in 1962, and earned the A.Mus.D. (doctor of musical arts) degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1975.
In September 1955 he began studies with Marcel Mule
at the Paris Conservatoire National de Musique et de Declamation
in Paris
, France
. He earned the Premier Prix in 1956, becoming the first American saxophonist to earn this distinction.
School of Music
in Evanston, Illinois
. He currently serves as Louis and Elsie Snydacker Eckstein Professor of Music and Associate Dean of the School of Music. In this position he has taught hundreds of saxophonists, many who have gone on to become teachers in their own right. His students teach and perform in teaching and performing positions throughout the world.
His students include:
He is an artist-clinician for The Selmer Company
, a well-known manufacturer of saxophones, based in Paris, France. In 1979 Hemke was host for the Sixth World Saxophone Congress
held at Northwestern University
, Evanston, IL
.
Guillermo Hemke Gastelum
and many other orchestras. He has given the premiere performances of several works for saxophone, including Allan Pettersson
's "Symphony No. 16" and James Di Pasquale's "Sonata for Tenor Saxophone."
Among his solo releases are:
He is featured on several recordings, including:
Numerous pieces have been written for him or dedicated to him, including:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and Professor of Music at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
School of Music
Northwestern University School of Music
The Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, or Bienen School of Music, is an undergraduate and graduate institution devoted to musical performance and academics. Located on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, the school was known as the...
.
Education
Hemke received his Bachelor of Science degree in music education from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1958. He earned the Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of MusicEastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
in 1962, and earned the A.Mus.D. (doctor of musical arts) degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1975.
In September 1955 he began studies with Marcel Mule
Marcel Mule
Marcel Mule was a French classical saxophonist.Marcel Mule was known worldwide as one of the great classical saxophonists, and many pieces were written for him, premiered by him, and arranged by him. Many of these pieces have become staples in the classical saxophone repertoire...
at the Paris Conservatoire National de Musique et de Declamation
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He earned the Premier Prix in 1956, becoming the first American saxophonist to earn this distinction.
Teaching career
Since 1962, Hemke has been the professor of saxophone at the Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
School of Music
Northwestern University School of Music
The Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, or Bienen School of Music, is an undergraduate and graduate institution devoted to musical performance and academics. Located on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois, 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, the school was known as the...
in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
. He currently serves as Louis and Elsie Snydacker Eckstein Professor of Music and Associate Dean of the School of Music. In this position he has taught hundreds of saxophonists, many who have gone on to become teachers in their own right. His students teach and perform in teaching and performing positions throughout the world.
His students include:
- Anders LundegardAnders LundegårdAnders Olof Lundegård is a Swedish classical saxophonist. Lundegård is best known for his cello-like tone and intense performance style.Anders Lundegård was born in Växjö, Sweden, and made his debut at seventeen as a soloist and broadcast performer during a youth artist festival in Stockholm...
, international performer - John SampenJohn SampenJohn Sampen is an American classical saxophonist.Sampen's degrees are from Northwestern University . His teachers included Frederick Hemke, Larry Teal, and Donald Sinta. He has served as professor of saxophone at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio since 1977...
, Professor of Saxophone, Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State... - David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, international jazz performer and recording artist - Joseph MurphyJoseph MurphyJoseph Murphy may refer to:*Joseph Murphy , author and lecturer on the subconscious*Joe Murphy , hunger striker*Joseph C. Murphy, Michigan State Representative*Joseph P. Murphy, Wisconsin State Assemblyman*Joseph R...
, Professor of Saxophone, Mansfield University of PennsylvaniaMansfield University of PennsylvaniaMansfield University of Pennsylvania is one of the fourteen state universities that are part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher...
http://music.mansfield.edu - Ryo NodaRyo Nodais a Japanese composer and musician who has written several works for classical saxophone.-Life:Ryo Noda born in Amagasaki, Japan, in 1948, has been hailed throughout the Western hemisphere for his perfect control, powerful avant-garde improvisations and innovative playing techniques...
- Timothy Roberts, Associate Professor of Saxophone, Shenandoah University
- Eric Honour, Professor of Music, Director of Music Technology, University of Central MissouriUniversity of Central MissouriThe University of Central Missouri is a four-year public institution in Warrensburg, Missouri.- History :...
- Scott Plugge, Associate Chair of Music, Professor of Saxophone, Sam Houston State University
- Jeremy Justeson, Professor of Saxophone, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
- Paul Bro, Professor of Saxophone, Indiana State UniversityIndiana State UniversityIndiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
- James Bishop, Professor of Saxophone, Stetson University, DeLand, FL
- Debra RichtmeyerDebra RichtmeyerDebra Richtmeyer is an American classical saxophonist born June 19, 1957 in Lansing, Michigan.Richtmeyer earned her B.M.E. and M.M. at Northwestern University where she studied with Frederick L. Hemke. She has served as Professor of Saxophone at The University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois since...
, Professor of Saxophone, University of Illinois - Ron Blake, Professor of Jazz Saxophone, Juilliard School of Music
- Shawn Tracy, Professor of Jazz Saxophone, Merit School of MusicMerit School of MusicMerit School of Music is a nonprofit organization located in Chicago, Illinois. The mission of Merit School of Music is to "provide high-quality music education to students in metropolitan Chicago...
- Jonathan Helton, Professor of Saxophone, University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
- Nathan Nabb, Professor of Saxophone, Stephen F. Austin State UniversityStephen F. Austin State UniversityStephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
- Gail B. Levinsky, Professor of Saxophone, Susquehanna University
- Johnny Salinas, Professor of Saxophone, TBA
- David Dees, Professor of Saxophone, Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
- Roger Birkeland, Professor of Saxophone, Elmhurst CollegeElmhurst CollegeElmhurst College is a comprehensive private liberal arts college in Elmhurst, Illinois with a tradition of service-oriented learning. It has a rich affiliation with the United Church of Christ.- History :...
- Naomi Sullivan, Professor of Saxophone, Birmingham Conservatoire
- Masahito Sugihara, Professor of Saxophone, Morehead State UniversityMorehead State UniversityMorehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...
- Dave Bomberg
Other positions
He has edited a substantial collection of music for saxophone solo and ensembles, most of which is published by the Southern Music Company. He has authored many articles and educational materials. Hemke is well known as the designer of a line of reeds which bear his name. Rico Reeds began making "Frederick L. Hemke" brand saxophone reeds in 1982.He is an artist-clinician for The Selmer Company
The Selmer Company
Henri Selmer Paris company is a French family-owned enterprise, manufacturer of musical instruments based in Paris, France in 1885. It is known for its high-quality woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones, clarinets and trumpets...
, a well-known manufacturer of saxophones, based in Paris, France. In 1979 Hemke was host for the Sixth World Saxophone Congress
World Saxophone Congress
The World Saxophone Congress is a festival gathering approximately 1000 saxophonists and other musicians from all over the world. It is currently held every three years at a different congress centre in a different country and focuses primarily on the performance of classical saxophone music.The...
held at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, Evanston, IL
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
.
Guillermo Hemke Gastelum
Performing career
Hemke is an internationally acknowledged saxophone player, and he has appeared as a soloist in addition to giving master classes and lectures in the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, and the Far East. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony OrchestraChicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
and many other orchestras. He has given the premiere performances of several works for saxophone, including Allan Pettersson
Allan Pettersson
Gustav Allan Pettersson was a Swedish composer. Today he is considered one of the most important Swedish composers of the 20th century...
's "Symphony No. 16" and James Di Pasquale's "Sonata for Tenor Saxophone."
Recordings and publications
In 1975, Hemke's doctoral dissertation, The Early History of the Saxophone, was published. It explores in depth the saxophone's history and gradual acceptance in the realm of symphonic music.Among his solo releases are:
- "Music for Tenor Saxophone" (1975) Brewster Records
- "Simple Gifts" (2006) Saxo Records
- The American Saxophonist (2006) Saxo Records
- The American Saxophone Brewster Records
- Contemporary Music for Saxophone—Lapider Records
- (need names of other recordings)
He is featured on several recordings, including:
- Allan Pettersson'sAllan PetterssonGustav Allan Pettersson was a Swedish composer. Today he is considered one of the most important Swedish composers of the 20th century...
“Symphony No. 16” with Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (Ahronovitch) Swedish Heritage Discophile - “Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra of Wind Instruments” by Ross Lee FinneyRoss Lee FinneyRoss Lee Finney Junior was an American composer born in Wells, Minnesota who taught for many years at the University of Michigan. He studied with Nadia Boulanger, Edward Burlingame Hill, Alban Berg and Roger Sessions...
with the Northwestern University Wind Ensemble (John Paynter) on New World Records - Quintet for Saxophone and String Quartet by Warren BensonWarren BensonWarren Benson was an American composer. His compositions consist mostly of music for wind instruments and percussion...
with the Kronos QuartetKronos QuartetKronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
on SRI Records - Incantations by Ralph ShapeyRalph ShapeyRalph Shapey was an American composer and conductor. He is well-known for his work as a composition professor at the University of Chicago, where he founded and directed the Contemporary Chamber Players...
, University of Chicago Contemporary Players (Shapey) on Nonesuch Records - Concerto for Saxophone and Winds by Paul CrestonPaul CrestonPaul Creston was an Italian American composer of classical music.Born in New York City to Sicilian immigrants, Creston was self‐taught as a composer. He was an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, initiated into the national honorary Alpha Alpha chapter...
with the Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Ensemble on Interlochen Arts Academy Records - Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Orchestra by Ingolf DahlIngolf DahlIngolf Dahl was a German-born American composer, pianist, conductor, and educator.-Biography:Born in Hamburg, Germany to a German father and a Swedish mother, his birth name was Walter Ingolf Marcus. He studied with Philipp Jarnach at the Hochschule für Musik Köln...
with University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
Wind Ensemble (H. Robert Reynolds) on University of Wisconsin–Madison Records - He has recorded with the Eastman Wind EnsembleEastman Wind EnsembleThe Eastman Wind Ensemble is an American concert band founded by Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music in 1952. It is often credited with helping popularize wind music. Through the group, Fennell redefined wind ensemble to refer to a specific kind of wind band with only one player per...
, and the Contemporary Chamber PlayersContemporary Chamber PlayersContemporary Chamber Players is the name of two American ensembles that are dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music:*The University of Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players*Stony Brook Contemporary Chamber Players...
. - He appears on six recordings with the Chicago Symphony OrchestraChicago Symphony OrchestraThe Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
:- Pictures at an Exhibition (MussorgskyMussorgskyMussorgsky can refer to:*The Mussorgsky family of Russian nobility;*Modest Mussorgsky, a Russian composer belonging to that family.*Mussorgsky , a 1950 Soviet film about the composer...
/Ravel)--Ozawa - Suites Nos. 1 and 2 (Georges BizetGeorges BizetGeorges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
)--Jean MartinonJean MartinonJean Martinon was a French conductor and composer.-Biography:Martinon was born in Lyon, where he began his education, going on to the Conservatoire de Paris to study under Albert Roussel for composition, under Charles Munch and Roger Désormière for conducting, under Vincent d'Indy for harmony,... - Age of Gold (Dmitri ShostakovichDmitri ShostakovichDmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
)--Leopold StokowskiLeopold StokowskiLeopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski... - Bolero (Maurice RavelMaurice RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
)--Jean MartinonJean MartinonJean Martinon was a French conductor and composer.-Biography:Martinon was born in Lyon, where he began his education, going on to the Conservatoire de Paris to study under Albert Roussel for composition, under Charles Munch and Roger Désormière for conducting, under Vincent d'Indy for harmony,... - Bolero (Maurice RavelMaurice RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
)--Sir Georg SoltiGeorg SoltiSir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his... - The Final Alice (Del Tredici)--Sir Georg SoltiGeorg SoltiSir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
- Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky
Numerous pieces have been written for him or dedicated to him, including:
- "Music for Tenor Saxophone and Piano," written by M. William Karlins in 1969
- Allan Pettersson'sAllan PetterssonGustav Allan Pettersson was a Swedish composer. Today he is considered one of the most important Swedish composers of the 20th century...
“Symphony No. 16” for orchestra with bravura alto saxophone (commissioned by Hemke)
Awards and honors
- In 1956, Hemke became the first American to be awarded the Premiere Prix du Saxophone at the Paris Conservatory. He received the Kappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
Distinguished Service to Music Award. He was appointed the Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. He served as president of the North American Saxophone AllianceNorth American Saxophone AllianceThe North American Saxophone Alliance is an organization for saxophone players from around North America. Members are required to pay dues, which vary depending on age. NASA hosts regional conferences for each of its 10 regions. It also hosts a biennial international conference...
and was later awarded Honorary Life Membership in that organization.