Fred Hemke, DMA ''(né'' Frederick Leroy Hemke Jr.; July 11, 1935 – April 17, 2019) was an American virtuoso classical

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...

and influential professor of saxophone at Northwestern University. Hemke helped raise the popularity of classical saxophone, particularly among leading American composers and helped raise the recognition of classical saxophone in solo, chamber, and major orchestral repertoire. For a half century, from 1962 to 2012, Hemke was a full-time faculty music educator at Northwestern University's

Bienen School of Music The Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music is the music and performance arts school of Northwestern University. It is located on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, Illinois, United States. The school was previously known as the North ...

. In 2002, Hemke was named Associate Dean Emeritus of the School of Music. Hemke retired from Northwestern University in 2012. From the start of his career in the early 1960s, building on the achievements of earlier influential American teachers of classical saxophone — including those of Larry Teal,

Joseph Allard Joseph Allard (December 31, 1910 – May 3, 1991) was a professor of saxophone and clarinet at the Juilliard School, the New England Conservatory, and the Manhattan School of Music. He also held adjunct positions at many other schools. He succeed ...

, Cecil Leeson, Sigurd Raschèr, and Vincent Abato — Hemke, and a handful of peer American saxophonists — including Eugene Rousseau and Donald Sinta — helped build American saxophone repertoire through composers that included Muczynski, Creston,

Stein Stein is a German, Yiddish and Norwegian word meaning "stone" and "pip" or "kernel". It stems from the same Germanic root as the English word stone. It may refer to: Places In Austria * Stein, a neighbourhood of Krems an der Donau, Lower Aust ...

, Heiden, and Karlins. Journalist and author Michael Segell, in his 2005 book, ''The Devil's Horn,'' called Hemke "The Dean of Saxophone Education in America." Hemke died on April 17, 2019.

Formal education

From 1955 to 1956, Hemke studied saxophone with

Marcel Mule Marcel Mule (24 June 1901 – 18 December 2001) was a French classical saxophonist. He 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 piec ...

at the Paris Conservatoire National de Musique et de Declamation, earning in 1956 the Premier Prix diploma. Hemke holds the distinction of being the first American saxophonist to earn a Premier Prix diploma from the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

. In 1958, Hemke earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. In 1962, he earned a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. In 1975, Hemke earned an A.Mus.D. degree from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

. In primary and secondary school, until the start of college, Hemke studied saxophone with Eddie Schmidt, a jobbing teacher, band director in Milwaukee, and a close friend of Ralph Joseph Hermann (1914–1994) — musician, composer, songwriter, and music publisher. Hemke was highly influenced by Schmidt's recording of

— and also of his recordings of

Al Gallodoro Alfred J. Gallodoro, (June 20, 1913 – October 4, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, who performed from the 1920s up until his death. He is notable for having played lead alto sax with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and b ...

, and Freddy Gardner. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Hemke studied with Jay Morton, teacher of woodwinds. Hemke did not have a formal saxophone teacher at Eastman, but while there, studied reeds with clarinetist

Stanley Hasty Donald Stanley Hasty(February 21, 1920 - June 22, 2011) was professor emeritus of clarinet at the Eastman School of Music. Hasty joined the Eastman faculty and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 1955. Before coming to Rochester, he served as ...

(1920–2011), flute repertoire with Joseph Mariano (1911–2007), and oboe repertoire with Robert Sprenkle (1914–1988).
Fostering Artistry and Pedagogy: Conversations With Artist-Teachers Frederick Hemke, Eugene Rousseau, and Donald Sinta
'' (PhD dissertation), by Julia Nolan,

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

(2012)"An Interview with Frederick Hemke," by Jonathan Helton, ''The Saxophone Journal'', Vol. 31, No. 1, pps. 26–31 (2006)

Teaching career

Hemke taught saxophone at Northwestern's School of Music for fifty years. He began in 1962 as a teaching associate. In 1964 he became an assistant professor and was appointed chairman of the newly formed Winds and Percussion Instruments Department. In 1967 Hemke was elevated to associate professor; on September 1, 1975, Full Professor; and on September 1, 1991, chairman of the Department of Music Performance Studies at the School of Music. Hemke served as senior associate dean for administration in the School of Music from 1995 to 2001. In 2002, Hemke was named the Louis and Elsie Snydacker Eckstein Professor of Music and also named associate dean emeritus of the School of Music. He retired from full-time teaching in 2012. As a music educator in higher education, Hemke has taught hundreds of saxophonists, many of whom have flourished as performing artists and music educators of international rank. From 2013 until his death, Hemke served as artistic director and taught during summers at the Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute, located at Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, ME. Selected former students: * Jan Berry Baker
Associate Professor of Saxophone
University of California, Los Angeles * Roger Birkeland
Professor of Saxophone

Elmhurst College Elmhurst University is a private university in Elmhurst, Illinois. It has a tradition of service-oriented learning and an affiliation with the United Church of Christ. The university changed its name from Elmhurst College on July 1, 2020. Hist ...

* James Bishop
Director of Instrumental Music

Eastern Florida State College Eastern Florida State College, formerly Brevard Community College, is a public college in Brevard County, Florida. It is a member of the Florida College System and has campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville, as well as a Virt ...

, Cocoa, FL * Robert Black
1985 "Grammy" award for "FACADE" recording as member of Chicago Pro Musica. Saxophonist on call with Chicago Symphony Orchestra 1973 to 2009. Former of instructor of Saxophone DePaul and Roosevelt University. 2nd Soprano saxophone on George Solti's Chicago Symphony recording of David DelTredici's "The Final Alice" with Dr. Hemke as 1st Soprano Saxophone. Owner of "The Saxophone Shop", Evanston, Il 1974 to 2004. * Ron Blake
Professor of Jazz Saxophone

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

Jazz performer and
recording artist * Dave Bomberg * Paul Bro
Professor of Saxophone

Indiana State University Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...

Steve Cole Steve Cole (born August 17, 1970) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist. He is also a professor/adviser of music business at the University of St. Thomas. Early career and education Cole was born in Chicago, Illinois and began to play musi ...

International jazz performer and
recording artist * David Dees
Professor of Saxophone
Texas Tech University * Geoffrey Deibel, DMA
Assistant Professor of Saxophone and
Director of Jazz Studies
Florida State University * Mark Engebretson
Professor of Composition and
Electronic Music

University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. UNCG, like all members of the UNC system, is a stand- ...

* Susan Fancher
Saxophone Instructor
Duke University * Dan Ferri
Teacher & owner
DRF Studios
Maitland, Florida
Saxophone Instructor

Stetson University Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...

Deland, Florida DeLand is a city in central Florida. It is the county seat of Volusia County. The city sits approximately north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. As of the 2020 ...

Chico Freeman Chico Freeman (born Earl Lavon Freeman Jr.; July 17, 1949) is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with ''Morning Prayer'', won the New York Jazz Award ...

Jazz saxophonist * Jason Fritts
Teacher and Performer *

Bunky Green Vernice "Bunky" Green (born April 23, 1935) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and educator. Biography Green was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he played the alto saxophone, mainly at a local club called "The Brass Rail". Green's fir ...

Director of Jazz Studies

University of North Florida The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Sc ...

* Jeffrey Loeffert, DMA
Director and Professor
Oklahoma State University * Jonathan Helton
Professor of Saxophone

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

* Frederic J.B. Hemke
Professor of Saxophone
Northern State University * James S. Hill
Professor of Saxophone

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

* William Hochkeppel
Professor of Saxophone

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...

* James Kasprzyk
Founder of Chicago Saxophone Quartet as Baritone Saxophone. State Department tour with Northwestern University Quartet 1966. * Eric Honour
Professor of Music
Director of Music Technology
University of Central Missouri * Jeremy Justeson
Professor of Saxophone

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Highe ...

* Gail B. Levinsky
Professor of Saxophone
Susquehanna University * Anders Lundegard
International performer * Joseph Murphy
Professor of Saxophone
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania * Nathan Nabb
Professor of Saxophone
Stephen F. Austin State University * Ryo Noda * Stephen J. Parker
Teacher, Performer
Naples philharmonic * Harvey Pittel
Professor of Saxophone

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...

* Scott Plugge
Director of the School of Music
Professor of Saxophone
Sam Houston State University * Debra Richtmeyer
Professor of Saxophone
University of Illinois * Timothy Roberts
Associate Professor of Saxophone
Shenandoah University * Johnny Salinas
Visiting Assistant Professor of Saxophone
Oklahoma State University * John Sampen
Professor of Saxophone

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) 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 19 ...

International jazz performer
and recording artist * Andy Snitzer
International jazz performer and
recording artist * William H. Street
Professor of Saxophone
University of Alberta * Masahito Sugihara
Professor of Saxophone
Sam Houston State University * Matthew Younglove
Assistant Professor of Saxophone
Tennessee Tech University * Naomi Sullivan
Professor of Saxophone

Birmingham Conservatoire The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is a music school, drama school and concert venue in Birmingham, England. It provides professional education in music, acting, and related disciplines up to postgraduate level. It is a centre for scholarly res ...

* Michael Rene Torres
Assistant Professor of Practice, Saxophone and Composition

* Shawn Tracy
Professor of Jazz Saxophone
Merit School of Music * Jeremy Williamson
Teacher
Seminole State College and
Seminole County Public Schools * Kathleen Mitchell
Professor of Saxophone

The College of New Jersey The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public university in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ was the first normal school, or ...

* Steven Jordheim
Professor of Saxophone
Lawrence University

Other positions

Hemke was well known as the designer of a line of reeds which bear the trademark "Frederick L. Hemke Reeds." Rico Reeds began making the brand in 1982. Hemke was an artist-clinician for The Selmer Company, the North American distributor of saxophones made in France by the

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

firm,

Henri Selmer Paris Henri Selmer Paris is a French enterprise, manufacturer of musical instruments based at Mantes-la-Ville near Paris. Founded in 1885, it is known as a producer of professional-grade woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones, clarinet ...

. In 1979 Hemke was host for the Sixth

World Saxophone Congress The World Saxophone Congress is a festival gathering approximately 1000 saxophone, saxophonists and other musicians from all over the world. It is held every three years at a different congress centre in a different country and focuses primaril ...

held at Northwestern University,

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...

Performing career

Hemke was an internationally acclaimed saxophone artist. Hemke has appeared extensively as a solo artist and has given master classes and lectures in the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, and the Far East. He performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and many other orchestras. He premiered several works for saxophone, including Allan Pettersson's ''Symphony No. 16'' (February 24, 1983) and James Di Pasquale's ''Sonata'' for tenor saxophone. Di Pasquale, a prolific composer, had studied saxophone with Hemke and Sigurd Rascher. ;;Selected performances * Hemke made his New York debut on April 16, 1962, at the Town Hall, a storied concert venue that had its first-ever classical saxophone performance on February 5, 1937 — by Cecil Leeson. Hemke performed compositions by Pascal, Lantier, Rueff, Hartley, and

and arrangements by Mule of

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

and

Leclair Le Claire, LeClair, LeClaire or Leclair is a French or Francophone surname which can refer to: * Antoine Le Claire (1797–1861), U.S. Army interpreter, founded Davenport, Iowa * Corinne Leclair (born 1970), Mauritian swimmer * Day Leclaire, Ameri ...

. * Premier, February 27, 2014, Augusta Read Thomas, Hemke Concerto, ''Prisms of Light,'' for solo alto saxophone and orchestra # "Illuminations" () # "Sunrise Ballad" # "Chasing Radiance" # "Solar Rings" : Hemke, saxophone, with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, William Boughton conducting : Recorded at Woolsey Hall,

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

, February 27, 2014 : Commissioned as a retirement gift to Fred Hemke by current and former students; the composer, Thomas, had been Hemke's colleague at Northwestern : From the album, ''A Portrait of Augusta Read Thomas'',

Nimbus Records Nimbus Records is a British record company based at Wyastone Leys, Ganarew, Herefordshire. They specialise in classical music recordings and were the first company in the UK to produce compact discs. Description Nimbus was founded in 1972 by ...

( CD) (2014);

Advocacy for B tenor saxophone

In a traditional modern saxophone quartet — B soprano, E alto, B tenor, and E baritone saxophone — repertoire and popularity for solo classical was, and still is, dominated by B soprano and E alto saxophone. Bucking the trend, Hemke spent time focusing on the B tenor as a classical solo instrument, as evidenced by the release of his 1971 solo album, ''Music for Tenor Saxophone''. In orchestral music, the tenor is known as one of the three saxophone voices in Ravel's '' Boléro'' — originally performed by two saxophonists, one on E sopranino and one on tenor doubling on B soprano. Recordings by tenor saxophone virtuoso

James Houlik James Houlik ( ; born December 4, 1942 in Bay Shore, New York) is an American classical tenor saxophonist and saxophone teacher. Family life Houlik is married for the third time, and has fathered four children. He has four grand children and four ...

and others notwithstanding, classical tenor saxophone recordings make up a small portion of the classical saxophone repertoire and discography universe.

Selected discography

;;Solo recordings * ''Contest Music for Saxophone'', Lapider Records M 249-04, distributed by H. & A. Selmer, Elkhart ( LP) (1962) :: (stereo) ( LP) :: (mono) ( cassette) :: (mono) ( LP) :: (mono) ( LP) :: ( LP) :: ( LP) :: James Jacobs Edmonds (1931–2002), piano :: Hemke performed on a Selmer Mark VI : Side 1 :: Matrix N° XCTV-87627 (mono) :: Matrix N° RG 576A (stereo) : : Side 2 :: Matrix N° XCTV-87628 (mono) :: Matrix N° RG 576A (stereo) : * ''Music for Tenor Saxophone'', Brewster Records BR 1204 ( LP) (1971); :: Milton Lewis Granger (born 1947), piano :: Album cover art: Fred Hemke :: Notes by Charles (Chuck) Brewster Hawes, PhD (born 1945) # ''Sonata'', for tenor saxophone and piano, by James Di Pasquale # ''A Ballad in Time and Space'', by William Duckworth # ''Poem'', for tenor saxophone and piano, by Walter Hartley # ''Music for Tenor Saxophone and Piano,'' by Martin William Karlins * ''The American Saxophone'', Brewster Records BR 1203 ( LP) (1971); :: Milton Lewis Granger (born 1947), piano :: Album cover art: Fred Hemke :: Notes by Alan Burrage Stout (born 1932) # ''Concerto'', for alto saxophone, by Ingolf Dahl # ''Farewell,'' by Warren Benson # ''Concerto'', for alto saxophone, Karel Husa # ''Aeolian Song,'' by Warren Benson * ''Music for Tenor Saxophone'' (1971) and ''The American Saxophone'' (1971) was :: Re-issued as a compilation under the title: ::''The American Saxophone,'' EnF Records 1203-2 ( CD) (2006); * ''Simple Gifts'', EnF Records ( CD) (2006); :: Douglas Cleveland, organ :: Recorded at Alice Miller Chapel, Northwestern University on the Æolian-Skinner Organ and at Trinity United Methodist Church, Wilmette, Illinois, on the 2001 Reuter Organ * ''Fascinating Rhythm, Sins Of My Old Age'', EnF Records ( CD) (2010); :: The Music of George Gershwin :: Hemke, Alto Saxophone :: Figard String Quintet: Tracy Figard, violin; Catherine Price, violin; Kristin Figard, viola; Sam Norlund, cello; Douglas Nestler, double bass :: Notes by Jonah L. Blum (born 1976) (in English) and Hemke :: Cover art by Hemke * Premier, February 27, 2014, Augusta Read Thomas, Hemke Concerto, ''Prisms of Light,'' for solo alto saxophone and orchestra # "Illuminations" () # "Sunrise Ballad" # "Chasing Radiance" # "Solar Rings" : Hemke, saxophone, with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, William Boughton, conducting : Recorded at Woolsey Hall,

( CD) (2014); ;;Ensemble recordings : Hemke has recorded with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and The University of Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players. * ''Symphony No. 16'', by Allan Pettersson,

Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra ( sv, Kungliga Filharmonikerna or , literal translations, "Royal Philharmonic" or "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra") is a Swedish orchestra based in Stockholm. Its principal venue is the Konserthuset. His ...

, Yuri Ahronovitch conducting, Swedish Society Discofil ( LP) (1985); and ( CD) (1994) :: Recorded at the

Stockholm Concert Hall The Stockholm Concert Hall ( sv, Stockholms konserthus) is the main hall for orchestral music in Stockholm, Sweden. With a design by Ivar Tengbom chosen in competition, inaugurated in 1926, the Hall is home to the Royal Stockholm Philharmoni ...

, October 17 & 18, 1984 * ''Winds of Change – American Music for Wind Ensemble From the 1950s to the 1970s'',

New World Records New World Records is a record label that was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to celebrate America's bicentennial (1976) by producing a 100-LP anthology, with American music from many genres.LP) (1977); , :: Northwestern University Wind Ensemble, John Philip Paynter (1928–1996) (nl) conducting :: Recorded November 1976 :: 4th work: ''Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra of Wind Instruments,'' by Ross Lee Finney, Hemke, alto saxophone * ''Music by Warren Benson'', CRI Records SD-433 & SD 418 ( LP) (1981); :: Hemke, E alto saxophone :: With the

Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...

: David Harrington, violin; John Sherba, violin; Hank Dutt, viola; Joan Jeanrenaud, cello :: Recorded November 27, 1978, Kresge Recording Studios, Eastman School of Music :: First work: ''The Dream Net,'' quintet for saxophone and string quartet, commissioned by Hemke :# "Slow"
audio
:# "Quick"
audio
:# "Flexing"
audio
* ''Incantations'' (in four movements), by Ralph Shapey, CRI Records 232 ( LP) (1969); , :: Notes by

Carter Harman Carter Harman (June 4, 1918; Brooklyn, New York – January 23, 2007; Stowe, Vermont) was a composer, writer, and music industry executive. During World War II, Harman achieved particular distinction for his service in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He ...

:: For soprano,

violoncello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

, E alto saxophone,

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

, tympani,

cymbals A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

, tomtoms, irons, and

gongs A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...

Bethany Beardslee Bethany Beardslee (born December 25, 1925) is an American soprano particularly noted for her collaborations with major 20th-century composers, such as Igor Stravinsky, Milton Babbitt, Pierre Boulez, George Perle, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and her ...

, soprano, Contemporary Chamber Players of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

:: Ralph Shapey conducting :: Re-released CRI Records ( CD) (1995); :: Re-released CRI Records ( CD) (2007); * ''Concerto for Saxophone and Winds'' by Paul Creston,

Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City. ...

Records (1978) ::

Wind Ensemble, Dennis L. Johnson (born 1946) conducting :: 33rd Annual Midwestern Conference on School Vocal and Instrumental Music :: Performed live, January 21, 1978, Hill Auditorium,

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, Ann Arbor : * ''Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Orchestra'' by Ingolf Dahl, University of Wisconsin–Madison Records (1972); ::

Wind Ensemble, (

H. Robert Reynolds H. Robert Reynolds is an American musician, conductor and academic. He is currently the principal conductor of the Wind Ensemble at the USC Thornton School of Music, Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, where he ho ...

) conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra * ''

Pictures at an Exhibition ''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's most famous pia ...

'', by

Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...

, orchestrated by

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

, Ozawa conducting (1968); :: * '' L'Arlésienne Suites Nos. 1 and 2'', by Bizet, RCA Red Seal LSC-2939 ( LP) (1967); ::

Jean Martinon Jean Francisque-Étienne Martinon (usually known simply as Jean Martinon (); 10 January 19101 March 1976) was a French conductor and composer. Biography Martinon was born in Lyon, where he began his education, going on to the Conservatoire ...

conducting :: Re-released

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

Camden Classics Victrola CCV 5011 ( LP) (1971) :: Re-released

VICS 1593 ( LP) (1971); :: Re-released

( LP) (1977); :: Re-released

LPS 9845 ( LP) * '' Age of Gold'' (ballet suite), by Shostakovich, RCA Red Seal GL 42916 ( LP) (1968); :: Stokowski conducting :: Recorded February 20–21, 1968,

Medinah Temple The Medinah Temple is a large Moorish Revival building in Chicago built by Shriners architects Huehl and Schmidt in 1912. It is located on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois at 600 N. Wabash Avenue, extending from Ohio Street to Ontari ...

, Chicago :: Re-released RCA Red Seal LSC 3133 ( LP) (1970); :: Re-released RCA Red Seal ( LP) (1975); :: Re-released RCA Red Seal ( LP) (1979); :: Re-released RCA Red Seal ( CD) (1997); :: Also re-released with several various compilations * '' Boléro'', by

, Quintessence PMC 1017 (1977); :: Martinon conducting * '' Boléro'', by

, Decca Matrix N° ZAL 14720 ( LP) ::

Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

conducting :: Recorded May 1976,

, Chicago :: Original release Decca (1977) :: Original release London Records ( LP) (1977); :: Re-released Decca ( CD) (1996); :: :: Re-released Universal Classics (2003); :: Re-released

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family of ...

(2003); :: and * ''Final Alice'', by Del Tredici, Decca,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

( LP) (1981); ::

Barbara Hendricks Barbara Hendricks (born November 20, 1948) is an American operatic soprano and concert singer. Hendricks has lived in Europe since 1977, and in Switzerland in Basel since 1985. She is a citizen of Sweden following her marriage to a Swedish c ...

, soprano; Fred Hemke, Robert Black, soprano saxophones; Fred Spector, mandolin; Frederic Chrislip,

tenor banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

; Herman Troppe, accordion;

conducting :: Recorded twice. Once in 1976 after World Premier and again 1978, after second live performance series before Solti and his exacting standards would allow release.

, Chicago :: Re-released on Decca Eloquence 442 995, Australia ( CD) (2008);

Selected publications

Educational publications * ''The Early History of the Saxophone'' ( DMA dissertation), by Hemke, University of Wisconsin (1975); , : The dissertation explores in depth the saxophone's history and gradual acceptance in the realm of symphonic music * ''On Reading Music: An Information Processing Analysis'', by Gilbert Koreb Krulee (born 1924) & Hemke (1980); ;;The Selmer Series,

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana, east of Chicago, Illinois, and north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Elkhart has the larger population of the two principal cities of th ...

: :
"Teacher's Guide to the Saxophone,"
by Hemke, Elkhart, Indiana: Selmer (1977); :* ''The Orchestral Saxophone'', by Hemke & Walker L Smith, Elkhart, Indiana: Selmer (1975); :* ''A Comprehensive Listing of Saxophone Literature,'' by Hemke, Elkhart, Indiana: Selmer (1975); Commissions and dedications * "Music for Tenor Saxophone and Piano," by M. William Karlins (1969, ©1972); * ''Symphony No. 16'', for orchestra with bravura alto saxophone, by Allan Pettersson, commissioned by Hemke (1979, ©1989); * ''The Dream Net'', 1974, revised 1978, by Warren Benson, commissioned by Hemke, dedicated to Alec Wilder, premiered by Hemke May 23, 1975, with the Eckstein Quartet, Lutken Hall, Northwestern University; * "Wind Rose", by Warren Benson (1966), commissioned by Hemke and the Northwestern University Saxophone, dedicated to Hemke and the Northwestern University Saxophone Quartet on their tour of Asia, Spring, 1966; * ''Little Suite,'' by Walter Hartley, for Hemke, for baritone saxophone and piano (1974); * ''5 Etudes for Alto Saxophone'', by Robert Lemay (fr), Courlay: Éditions Fuzeau :: 2000; :: Revised 2006; , , :: Commissioned by Jean-François Guay :: Homage to

, Jean-Marie Londeix, Eugene Rousseau, Fred Hemke, Daniel Deffayet :: Funded in part by the

Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) is a public agency founded in 1994 by the government of Quebec. CALQ offers support and funding for art projects in the performing arts, multidisciplinary arts, circus arts, visual arts, med ...

* ''Episode'', for saxophone quartet, by Jared Tozier Spears (born 1936), commissioned by Hemke (1969); * ''Symphony for Saxophone and Wind Band'', by Gerald Eugene Kemner (1932–2006) (composed around 1962 for Hemke) Music editions * Hemke has edited works for saxophone solos and saxophone ensembles, twenty-five of which are part of the Frederick Hemke Saxophone Series published by the Southern Music Company.

Awards and honors

Hemke's saxophone and accessories

Hemke had been a primary design consultant for the S-80 mouthpiece manufactured by

. For alto saxophone, Hemke uses a custom version of the S-80. The mouthpiece is metal with a square chamber. The Selmer Mark VII E alto and B tenor saxophones, introduced in 1974, were designed in consultation with Hemke.

Miscellaneous

* For research, while in grad school at Eastman, Hemke had borrowed from H. & A. Selmer one of the world's original saxophones made by

Adolphe Sax Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax (; 6 November 1814 – 4 February 1894) was a Belgian inventor and musician who invented the saxophone in the early 1840s, patenting it in 1846. He also invented the saxotromba, saxhorn and saxtuba. He played the f ...

around 1860. On September 17, 1960, a custodian unwittingly stuffed a cardboard box containing the instrument into an incinerator and completely destroyed it. The only other one in existence was in a Paris museum. * Hemke has been a lifelong visual artist. His works are in the Regenstein Hall of Music at Northwestern University and on the covers of his albums.

Audio samples and videography

* , by Allan Pettersson ::

, Yuri Ahronovitch conducting, Swedish Society Discofil (1994); * , b
Claudio Gabriele
(composed 2005) :: For 12 saxophones :: North American premier :: Northwestern University Saxophone Ensemble, Hemke conducting * , b
Claudio Gabriele
(composed 2011) :: For 9 saxophones :: World premiere, 2008, Pick-Steiger Concert Hall,

:: Northwestern University Saxophone Ensemble, Hemke conducting Hemke Legacy Tribute: May 29 – June 3, 1912, Northwestern University * :: 7:30 , May 31, 2012, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University :: Songs by Gershwin, arranged by Jonah L. Blum (born 1976) :: Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra, Robert Hasty conducting :: Scenes from '' Porgy and Bess'' :# " Summertime" () :# " Bess, You Is My Woman Now" () :# "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin' " () :# "Gone, Gone, Gone" () :# " I Loves You, Porgy" () :# " Summertime" () * :: (

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

's '' Variations on the St. Anthony Chorale'' by

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

) :: Arranged by Gary S. Bricault (born 1952) at the request of Fred Hemke :: Northwestern University Alumni Saxo Orchestra, Stephen Alltop conducting :: Performed June 3, 2012, at Northwestern University :: 105 saxophones: 3 E sopraninos, 23 B sopranos, 35 E altos, 25 B tenors, 12 E baritones, 6 B

basses Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass ...

, and 1 E contra bass tubax * , Eric Howell Music (

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

) (2012);

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hemke, Frederick American classical saxophonists American male saxophonists Musicians from Evanston, Illinois Musicians from Milwaukee University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Northwestern University faculty 1935 births 2019 deaths Classical saxophonists Distinguished Service to Music Medal recipients 21st-century American saxophonists Classical musicians from Illinois Classical musicians from Wisconsin 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American saxophonists