One of the greatest jazz composers of his generation, Julius Hemphill (1938-1995) had a career that spanned myriad roles: improvising saxophonist, jazz ensemble arranger, large-scale classical composer, and so much more. He left an enduring legacy as a player and writer for saxophone ensembles, pioneering a new format that rivaled, some have said, the classical string quartet.

Hemphill got his professional start as a saxophone player and composer in the St. Louis-based Black Artists Group. He is perhaps best-known as a founding member and composer in the World Saxophone Quartet, his first all-saxophone group, in which his was a defining compositional voice.  Perhaps less familiar are his classical and crossover compositions, including pieces for string quartet and solo piano, and his collaborations with the Bill T. Jones Dance Company or the Kronos Quartet.  Through all his work, for classical and jazz players, Hemphill's craftsmanship and style set him apart as one of the giants of the late 20th century.

Hemphill’s crowning achievement was the six-saxophone Julius Hemphill Sextet, a group still actively touring today and keeping alive the composer’s legacy through recording, performing and publishing Hemphill’s music.