Patrick Selmer Receives NAMM Lifetime Achievement Award

For his storied history in the music products industry, Patrick Selmer receives the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from NAMM. As president of French saxophone maker Henri Selmer Paris since 1998, Patrick Selmer, leads the iconic brand with his cousins Brigitte and Jerome Selmer. He is the fourth generation of Selmer’s to run the business founded by his great-grandfather in 1885.

The Lifetime Achievement award is NAMM’s highest industry recognition. Selmer started working in the business at an early age, beginning with a residency in Elkhart, Indiana, where he was introduced to many key players in the brass industry. It was there that he began building lifelong friendships and lasting business relationships.

"In bestowing this honor on Patrick Selmer, NAMM recognizes the dedication of a man who, for all his life, has worked toward elevating his product, his business, and indeed the music industry as a whole," said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. "Patrick's legacy is not only his esteemed family name and product, but his passionate advocacy for music education. Above all, he has amassed an astonishing list of accomplishments driven by a stellar work ethic and a refreshing humility." 

Selmer, who also president of the French music association Chambre Syndicate de la Facture Instrumentale, was instrumental in starting Orchestre à l'école. This program that reinstates ensemble music making in French state schools grew over the last decade from one school orchestra to nearly 750. Orchestre à l'école is now supported by the French Ministry of Education.

“It is a great honor for me to have received such a recognition from this highly esteemed organization,” Selmer said. “I am very proud of it and I want to duly share it with our previous generations and our team who over the last 127 years have founded, developed and consolidated our company, Henri Selmer Paris, and now work for its future.”

Henri Selmer Paris has a history of collaboration with the most exacting and famous players in their fields including Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Michael Brecker, Benny Goodman and Michel Portal. Current collaborations include Kenny Garrett, Claude Delangle, Philippe Berrod and Steve Williamson. For more information on Patrick Selmer and the Henri Selmer Paris Company, view his NAMM Oral History interview.