Charlie Young

Charlie Young is a native of Norfolk, Virginia. Presently residing in Washington, DC, he has served as Professor of Saxophone at Howard University for over 20 years and is also Coordinator of Instrumental Jazz Studies. Young has had a rich career of performing and recording with various bands and orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra, the US Navy Band, the Count Basie Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Likewise, Mr. Young has shared the concert stage with many of the music industry's leading icons ranging from Clark Terry and Ella Fitzgerald to Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones. Performance venues have ranged from London's Royal Albert Hall to New York's Carnegie Hall. In 1988, Charlie Young was recruited as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra where he has served as conductor. Presently he holds the position of lead saxophonist. Young joined the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra in 1995 and has served as the ensemble's principal saxophonist for over 15 years. In 2013, he was appointed Artistic Director and Conductor. In addition to working with legendary groups, Young has accomplished a great deal with his own jazz quintet, such as performing at the first San Remo Jazz Festival as musical ambassador for Washington DC. In 2008, Young was invited to present the inaugural concert and lecture at the opening of the New American University in Cairo, Egypt. He is also published on over 30 CD recordings, including his own release "So Long Ago".