Grammy award winning saxophonist/composer/educator Mace Hibbard has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting and versatile saxophonists on the scene today. Journalist John Barron succinctly commented, “Hibbard is an artist who uses his technical mastery, compositional skills, and informed understanding of the jazz saxophone lineage, to create musical offerings that are truly unique.”
Born and raised in Waco, Texas, early music lessons included piano and voice until settling on the saxophone at age ten. Mace’s firm grasp of the history of jazz and its standard repertoire comes from the gigs he played with his father – Dave Hibbard, a great trumpet player who was a staple in the Texas jazz scene for years – throughout his teen years. From there, he attended the University of Texas in Austin, where he earned a Bachelors degree in Musical Performance and a Masters degree in Jazz Studies. While in Austin, Mace developed as a composer and formed Odd Man Out, who released their self-titled debut on Viewpoint Records in 2000.  In addition to his growing jazz career, it was during this time that Hibbard began developing his reputation as an outstanding performer in all genres, playing in ensembles as diverse as The Austin Symphony, singer-songwriter Drew Smith, The Creative Opportunity Orchestra, and The Stingers.
After 10 years of being one of the most sought after woodwind players in Austin, Mace relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in the summer of 2003 where he is continuing his reputation as a gifted soloist, and solid performer on all saxophones, flute, and clarinet. In 2008, the Mace Hibbard Quintet was selected to play at the Atlanta Jazz Festival as the winner of the Future of Jazz Competition. In 2009, Mace was asked to perform in the Battle Royale celebration concert at the Savannah Music Festival where he was a featured soloist alongside such jazz luminaries as the Marcus Roberts Trio, The Clayton Brothers, Terrell Stafford, Scotty Barnhart, Jeff Clayton, Wycliffe Gordon and Andre Hayward.  
To learn more about Mace Hibbard, visit macehibbard.com