Biography

A seasoned performer, and an accomplished composer/arranger, Hamilton native Darcy Hepner has worked with such legendary figures as B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Sergio Mendes, Tony Bennett, Mel Tormé and Henry Mancini. As a professional musician living in New York City he worked in the Big Apple jazz scene as well as playing on various Broadway and off-Broadway shows. From 1999-2004, he toured as a regular member of the world renowned jazz-rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears. Also an accomplished educator, he has taught at New York University, the Berklee College of Music, Selkirk College and Mohawk College. 

Since returning to Hamilton in 2005 he has lead the Darcy Hepner Jazz Orchestra and recorded and performed with the Cowboy Junkies, Grammy winning guitarist Larry Carlton, Tom Wilson’s “Lee HaRVEY OSMONd,” as performer/arranger for Ian Thomas recording “A Life in Song” and as conductor/arranger for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Beatles shows since 2017. 

Darcy lives in Hamilton with his wife Astrid who is the founder/CEO of the Hamilton Music Collective/An Instrument for Every Child program, and their dog Mikey.