A rising star in the Los Angeles jazz scene after only 1.5 years of residence, trumpeter and composer Julien Knowles is already making his mark on the global stage in multiple musical arenas. Winning trumpeter of the 2020 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz fellowship program, Julien has been mentored by numerous legendary jazz artists including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ambrose Akinmusire, Walter Smith III, Gerald Clayton, and Dick Oatts. During his time in the full-fellowship graduate program, Julien toured internationally with pianist and mentor Herbie Hancock, and led master classes throughout the county on improvisation, composition, and pedagogy. Julien has studied composition privately with Billy Childs, Vince Mendoza, and John Hollenbeck, and trumpet with Ralph Alessi and Dan Rosenboom.

Julien has been called upon as a sideman by Louis Cole, Joe LaBarbera, Devin Daniels, Alan Ferber, Adi Meyerson, and a long list of L.A.’s prominent jazz artists and has performed at many of L.A.’s most popular venues such as Sam First, ETA, and several more. He has performed at festivals including the Angel City Jazz Festival, Venice Jazz Festival, and the San Joaquin Jazz Festival. Julien appears as a trumpeter on Tepper – the upcoming release by ECM recording artist and alto-saxophonist Peter Epstein – and is currently awaiting the release of his debut album As Many, As One which features original compositions for jazz quintet and string quartet.

As a composer and arranger, Julien has been commissioned by the Reno Jazz Orchestra, The University of Nevada, Reno’s Lab 1 Band, and many independent contractors for big band and chamber ensemble arrangements and compositions. In 2023, Julien’s piece “Tempest Quake” for quartet and string quartet was selected as a winner of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute Bridges Composition Competition. Julien’s arrangement of trumpeter Ralph Alessi’s composition “Arim Issela” was recently debuted by the Swiss Jazz Orchestra. Julien is also credited as a producer on upcoming releases by fellow rising-star alto saxophonist Devin Daniels (Grandiose) and the Reno Jazz Orchestra (New Directions).