Darcy Hepner


Darcy Rolston Hepner is a Canadian saxophonist, composer, and arranger.

Biography

Born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, he is the son of professional musicians. His professional career began as a cellist at the age of 15 and transitioned to flute, clarinet, and saxophone during his studies at McMaster University. While pursuing jazz studies at the University of Miami he performed with Henry Mancini, B. B. King, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Mel Tormé and many others. Moving to New York City in 1983 he studied composition and saxophone at New York University with Lee Konitz and Bob Mintzer. During his second residency in New York from 1996 to 2005, Hepner toured with Blood, Sweat and Tears, played in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and in clubs with such artists as Buster Poindexter and Tom Wopat.
Since 2008 he has recorded and performed with Tom Wilson and LeE HARVeY OsMOND as both a woodwind player and conductor/arranger for his symphony shows which have included performances with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. He arranged and produced the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Beatles shows in 2017, 2019 and 2023 and their “The Music of James Bond” concert in February of 2025.
In 2015, he collaborated with Canadian musician Ian Thomas as arranger and conductor to develop a concert for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. The music for the concert was used to produce Thomas's “Life In Song” recording.
Hepner taught at Berklee College of Music 1985–89, and was founder and head of the Music Program at Selkirk College in Nelson, BC, 1989–96. From 2005 to 2020, he held the position of professor of music at Mohawk College, Hamilton.

Discography (selected)

As Leader
The Darcy Hepner Jazz Orchestra
• Blues In Another Minute
As Sideman
With The Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
• The Morlocks and Other Pieces
With Larry Carlton
• Plays the Sound of Philadelphia
With Andy Middleton
• Reinventing the World
With Ian Thomas
• A Life In Song
• How We Roll
With Tom Wilson
• A Quite Evil
• The Folk Sinner
• Beautiful Scars
• Symphonic Scars
• Mohawk