His Quintet

Langston Hughes II is an accomplished saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer, and educator, rapidly emerging as one of the most promising young voices in jazz and beyond.
A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Langston began playing saxophone in the Prince George’s County public school system and later refined his craft at Howard University under the mentorship of saxophonist Charlie Young III and pianist Cyrus Chestnut. He recently earned his master’s degree in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School—one of the world’s premier arts conservatories—where his artistry and professionalism quickly drew the attention of leading figures in the field.
Langston Hughes II is an acclaimed saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer, and educator—quickly emerging as one of the most compelling young voices in jazz today. A native of Washington, D.C., he began his musical journey in the Prince George’s County public school system before studying at Howard University with Charlie Young III and Cyrus Chestnut, later earning his Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from The Juilliard School. Rooted in gospel and the rich lineage of Black American Music, Langston’s sound is soulful, expressive, and rhythmically driven, shaping high-energy performances full of passion, beauty, and joy. He has toured with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and performs regularly with Cyrus Chestnut and Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Generation Y Band. An in-demand woodwind performer on and off Broadway—most recently with A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical and Just in Time: The Bobby Darin Story—he is also a former Strathmore Artist in Residence and a graduate of the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead. A dedicated educator through his private studio and his work with FAME, Langston is committed to uplifting young artists, with critics praising his rising influence: “This young man is poised to make an impact with his emotion-evoking sound and style” (All About Jazz), and “By any intelligent calculation of Who’s Next… he’s right there” (Willard Jenkins, DC Jazz Fest).