“A phenomenal sax soloist”
- Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune
“elegant performances by Julian Velasco”
- BBC Music Magazine
Solo Album - As We Are
Watch the music video to what Gramophone called the “perfect finale”: Christopher Cerrone’s new edition of Liminal Highway for soprano saxophone and electronics. Audio by Mike Tierney, Video by NZ Media.
Debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Album Charts
Reviews:
“Gorgeous… raucous… lovely…. What a way for a young saxophonist to break into the big time.”
- Laurence Vittes, Gramophone
“A bird’s-eye view of Velasco’s range, both as an infectiously joyous interpreter of new music and a monster improviser.”
- Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune
“A delightful set of recordings by contemporary composers that take the listener in all sorts of different directions … Fabulous.”
- Louis Harris, Third Coast Review
“As We Are is an exciting album of contemporary music for the saxophone performed with passion and precision.”
- Ted Parkinson, The Whole Note
“A must for lovers of the saxophone, this is a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary release for anyone.”
- James Manheim, AllMusic
NEWS
21 February 2025
BBC Music Magazine Review - Songs in Flight: “An outstanding response to America's painful past”
“The album also includes a song from each of Okpebholo's other song cycles, which feature elegant performances from saxophonist Julian Velasco."
14 February 2025
Album release of Songs in Flight.
Performers include Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Rhiannon Giddens, Grammy-winning baritone Will Liverman, praised as a “voice for this historic moment” (Washington Post); Grammy-nominated countertenor Reginald Mobley, renowned for his powerful interpretations across diverse repertoire; Karen Slack, Grammy-nominated acclaimed soprano with a “sizeable voice that captures vacillating emotions” (New York Times); and pianist Paul Sánchez, praised as “the ideal interpreter . . . performing with clear virtuosity” (Fanfare). Saxophonist Julian Velasco, joins in two of the songs following the cycle.
Feb 2, 2024
Cleveland Institute of Music: This coming fall, Julian joins as guest teaching faculty for the upcoming new saxophone studio at CIM under the direction of Steven Banks.
Aug 24, 2023
Chicago Classical Review: At the top of his game all evening, Kalmar led an incisive and idiomatic performance of Rachmaninoff’s swan-song. The stern restlessness of the opening movement’s main theme contrasted pointedly with the lean lyricism of the secondary theme, the latter nicely enhanced by Julian Velasco’s sinuous saxophone. The conductor and musicians conveyed the eerie, unsettling qualities of the Andante’s spectral waltz.
Jan 9, 2023
AllMusic: The largely tonal acoustic pieces and the atonal electronic ones coexist comfortably, in part to the work of producer James Ginsburg (son of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg), who received a 2022 Grammy nomination for Best Producer in part for this release. A must for lovers of the saxophone, this is a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary release for anyone.
Jan 5, 2023
The Whole Note: As We Are is an exciting album of contemporary music for the saxophone performed with passion and precision.
Jan. 1, 2023
New Single: Arc Index by Adam Holmes releases today.
Dec. 18, 2022
Third Coast Review: Chicago’s Cedille Records Keeps Putting Out Great Stuff
Oct. 5, 2022
Gramophone: “Gorgeous… raucous… lovely…. What a way for a young saxophonist to break into the big time.”
Sept. 20, 2022
Chicago Tribune: A phenomenal sax soloist and a sad farewell at Chicago Sinfonietta’s Season Opener
Sept. 20, 2022
Chicago Classical Review: Sinfonietta opens with Italian pines, a somber tribute and the joy of sax
Sept. 2, 2022
As We Are debuts at #4 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Album Charts
Aug. 19, 2022
As We Are releases today on Cedille Records
May 20, 2022
Chicago Classical Review:
Nevermore Festival takes first flight with joyful ~Nois
“There is an obvious chemistry between the two groups [~Nois and Kinds of Kings], who have been champions of each other’s work since 2018, when Peacocke and the quartet were in residence together at the Ojai Music Festival. The composers’ rock ‘n roll sensibilities—which traces its lineage back to Bang on a Can founder Julia Wolfe—are simpatico with the effusive charisma indie-pop vibe that have become ~Nois’ signature.”
Apr. 15th, 2022
Chicago Sinfonietta 2022/23 Season Announcement
SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 AT 8:00 PM | WENTZ CONCERT HALL
SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 AT 7:30 PM | SYMPHONY CENTER
NEXT: the program highlights Cedille Records Emerging Artists Competition Winner, Julian Velasco, and his debut with Sinfonietta on Roberto Sierra’s jazz-infused Saxophone Concerto.
Dec. 8th, 2021
Chicago’s Top 10 moments in classical music, opera and jazz that defined 2021
“So much in the catalog is worthy of repeat listenings, but to suggest just a few…composer/singer Annika Socolofsky’s grotesquely gorgeous “I Tell You Me,” performed by Socolofsky and ~Nois saxophone quartet”
Nov. 22nd, 2021
Announced Winner of the Cedille Records Emerging Artist Competition. Debut Record to be released on record label Fall 2022.
Oct. 6th, 2021
“Annika Socolofsky’s “I Tell You Me” (in its world-premiere performance by ~Nois saxophone quartet and Socolofsky herself) as among the most captivating compositions I heard the whole festival.”
Aug. 2nd 2021
“In addition to the starry headliners, there were also students from the Bang on a Can summer institute who were given moments to shine. A few of them seemed ready to build ensembles of their own, and perhaps return for future festivals. The saxophonist Julian Velasco, for example, excelled as part of a mixed professional and student ensemble in Julius Eastman’s “Feminine” on Friday, and as part of a duo playing Shelley Washinton’s “BIG Talk” on Saturday.”