An evening with Mr. Patrick Selmer, President of Henri Selmer Paris
125th Anniversary Celebration Selmer Paris is always at the crossroads of mainstream music and
fully involved in the music world. No brand of musical instruments
can boast about such an “address book”. The finest jazzmen,
including John Coltrane, Dexter Gorder, Lester Young, Colemann
Hawkines and Charlie Parker- they have played or play instruments
signed “Selmer Paris”. Likewise, the most renowned classical
orchestras worldwide have chosen Selmer Paris for its unsurpassed
quality - a result only achievable with superior workmanship and
methods that are painstakingly developed by Selmer Paris’s artisans
over the course of more than a century. Crowned as the Stradivarius
of the saxophone world, the musician who buys a Selmer Paris is
buying more than a sound-making device - he or she is making a long
term investment, acquiring an instrument that corresponds and links
to one’s soul. On the occasion of Selmer Paris’s 125th anniversary, on June 1,
Tom Lee Music welcomed Mr. Patrick Selmer, President of Selmer Paris
and Sales Manager Mr. Thierry Lobel to introduce the company’s
instrument-making traditions and its new anniversary products. A
marvelous cohort of musicians and collectors in Hong Kong were
cordially invited the cocktail party to celebrate the fine art of
instrument-construction. Going hand in hand with the presentations
and virtual factory tour are performances by Jazz Teller, SaxMax
and Saxophone Quartet from the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing
Arts, whose artistry and brilliance blended perfectly with Selmer
Paris’ elegant image. A representative collection of old and new Selmer Paris saxophones,
all meticulously cared for by avid collectors from Hong Kong were
showcased. Musical gems from every era up to the present day,
including the acclaimed Super Action which represented the 1940’s,
Mark VII which represented the 1970’s and Reference Series which
represented the Millennium Century created a virtual synopsis of the
important developments of the company’s saxophone line. Notable
among these exquisite instruments is the vintage Model 26 possessed
by Mr. Ken Yung. Model 26 is Selmer Paris’s second saxophone model,
first introduced to the music world in 1926. Since then, it has
captivated the interest and attention of every saxophone player and
is one of the most sough-after models.
Constant evolution of a classic design
Over the course of history, saxophones signed by Selmer Paris have
always been copied by other counterparts in the industry. As the
undisputed leader of top-of-the-range saxophones and mouthpieces,
research and development is one of Selmer Paris’s core activities
today. To celebrate its 125th anniversary, Selmer Paris lays the
foundations for a new visual identity, while retaining the exceptional
acoustic design and ergonomics of the legendary Super Action 80
Series II and Series III. Details undergoing evolution includes: ~ A new engraving line, delicate and rich, designed to echo that of
the first Selmer Paris Saxophone - Model 22. ~ A warmer “gold” lacquer ~ Numerous details: a lighter and streamlined neck key, bell-to-ring
and etc. ~ The symbolic “S” logo is redesigned - The new, blue background
logo replaces the black logo, complimenting the new design of the
neck-key ~ A new mouthpiece
Firebird collector series
Firebird collector series is the fourth installment in the “tribute
to Bird” series of saxophones. The “tribute to Bird” series is a
five-year tribute created to honor the life of legendary saxophonist
Charlie Parker. Launched in 2005, each year, a limited edition
Reference Alto will be produced and each will feature an original
hand-engraved pattern dedicated to numerous continents of the world.
Following Hummingbird/ America of 2005, Kookaburra / Australia of 2006
and Flamingo / Africa of 2007, Firebird, the latest member of the
family celebrates the European continent borrowing from its cultural
evocation of the amazing Firebird.
Excerpt: interview with Mr. Patrick Selmer and Mr. Theirry Lobel
P: Mr. Patrick Selmer, L: Mr. Theirry Lobel 1. Which Selmer Paris saxophone is the most popular model among
collectors? How much would people pay for that? P: People pay too much, way too much! I think many vintage models,
like Mark VI and Model 26 have become the reference, because they
were the instruments when Jazz came to life. They correspond to the
foundation of jazz history. Of course there are some psychological
factors in this. When I was in New York, I saw a Mark VI sold for
US$22,000, which is crazy! But it was brand new in a case and has
never been used. L: I think you will find the most expensive vintage models in the
United States because you have a lot of suppliers and more people
who ask for that. It’s like a nostalgia stock exchange!
2. As a maker of fine musical instruments, what kind of
challenges does Selmer Paris face?
P: The big challenge is to manufacture in France. The high labor
cost here is something which can make us handicapped in the world
market. L: But as you may know, French are linked to love, fashion,
women- we are linked to all that. So we define our products like no
other. We must be elegant all the time. This is why the engraving
is so important because it gives a real meaning to the market.
And that is only achievable with the skills we have developed
over the years. P: We are focusing on the skills of people. What we do is somewhere
in between high tech and pure craftsmanship. Sometimes it’s hard
to recruit people and it takes a long time to train people. There
is no school, the school is inside the company. Technology wise,
there are new technologies that we could use but we do not produce
billions. L: That’s why when you buy a Selmer Paris product, you do not spend
money, you make money. Imagine that you have just bought a Mark VI
today. When your grandson sells it, he’ll surely make some money on
it because this product means something for the people. It’s more
than your wife because it lasts for generations!
3. What do you think we might see in the next 10 or 20 years of
the music world?
P: When I think about that, I think of what we experienced 20 or
30 years ago. I think the music world is finding new balances.
The western music world is very strong, music education as well.
But in the last ten years, may it be cultural or budget wise, the
development has been slowing down in the United States and Europe.
It’s transferring to Asia, because Asia is giving more attention
to personal development. As new markets arise, our ambition is to
keep the market share we have today. L: In fact, many companies entered the industry and then
disappeared. They come and go, because they are here only for
business. Yet, the spirit of musical instruments comes and stays.
Like what Patrick said earlier on, we are very linked to our spirits,
so you don’t disappear in the public. It's important for us to be
creative and be ahead of our time. 4. Selmer Paris is a family entrepreneurship. What is the
significance of that? P: Every instrument is a sensitive and human object. The advantage
of family entrepreneurship is you are close to the people who you
work with, including musicians. This is important for someone like
us, who are dealing with the artistic decisions and requirements.
We are not a pure business investment. Meanwhile, we have been
working with Tom Lee Music for a long time and just like Selmer
Paris, the structure of Tom Lee Music is also based on a family
settlement. So it’s true that it makes the way we deal with
business differently. In this case, we understand each other
better. We all make business, but we do it with certain ethics
and vision of life.
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