Art Baden, tenor saxophonist, was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and began playing piano, his first instrument, at the age of 4. Since picking up the saxophone at the age of 10, he has fallen in love with it and decided on pursuing music as a career.
At the age of 17 he received full scholarship to attend the Hanze Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen, Netherlands, and a year later, the Berklee College of Music, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree. He continued his education at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and graduated in 2023 with a Master of Music degree. Throughout the years of studying he was under the mentorship of Ralph Peterson, Joe Locke, George Garzone, Tia Fuller, Frank Tiberi, Herbie Hancock, Billy Childs, Walter Smith III, and Dick Oatts.
Baden is the winner of Downbeat 43rd Annual Student Music Award in the Jazz Soloist
category, and placed third in the 2019 Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition. Art has performed at festivals and clubs around the world with artists including Joe Locke, Herbie Hancock, Evgeny Pobozhiy, Gergo Borlai, Nathaniel Townsley, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Don Braden, Bob Sheppard, and Alex Sipiagin, among many others.
In August 2024, Art Baden released his debut album, ‘How Much Of It Is Real,’ showcasing his original compositions. The album features Art on tenor saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet, alongside renowned musicians Joe Locke on vibraphone, Jay Anderson on bass, and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts on drums.
Art is currently a professor at the Moscow State Institute of Culture, where he teaches
saxophone, improvisation, and leads the Institute’s Big Band. His broad teaching experience also includes work at UCLA Summer Jazz Camps, the Prince Claus Conservatoire, and numerous workshops at high schools and middle schools across the United States.
Art plays the Steady Signature on Bass Clarinet.
