Heidi Radtke

Driven to create a musical bond with her listeners, saxophonist Heidi Radtke is attracted to the many musical traditions that claim the saxophone as their own. With influences ranging from contemporary classical to jazz and popular genres, Radtke gravitates towards music that dances, sings, and tells a story. As a performing artist, Radtke seeks to entertain, provide emotional connection and release, stir creativity, pique curiosity, generate compassion, and above all, inspire the artistic voice in others.

Picking up the instrument at the age of 11, Radtke began spending her summers studying the saxophone at the University of Michigan’s All-State Program held at Interlochen Arts Camp. Years later, she attended Interlochen Arts Academy for her senior year of high school. Her love for the instrument firmly in place, Radtke pursued music performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studying with Professor Debra Richtmeyer for both her undergraduate and master’s degrees. After receiving an additional graduate degree in library science, Radtke worked as a music librarian at the University of Miami FL. In 2010, Heidi moved to Bloomington IN to complete a doctoral degree in music at Indiana University, under the tutelage of Dr. Otis Murphy. 

A passionate teacher, Radtke has held teaching positions at Butler University in Indianapolis and was a private instructor for the Carmel High School Band Program. An active clinician, she has served on the faculties of the Illinois Summer Youth Music Pre-College Saxophone Camp, the Indiana University Summer Saxophone Academy, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Radtke currently holds the position of Lecturer of Saxophone at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she co-teaches the saxophone studio alongside Rahsaan Barber. She also serves the saxophone community through her involvement with the North American Saxophone Alliance. Radtke is a member of the NASA Committee for Gender Equity and has been the leader of the Women+’s Mentoring Program since 2021.

As a solo artist, Radtke has performed with the University of North Carolina Symphony Band and Wind Ensemble. She gave a premiere performance of Stacy Garrop’s concerto Alpenglow with tubist Anthony Kniffen and the Butler University Wind Ensemble at the 2022 American Bandmasters Association Convention and performed Garrop’s concerto Quicksilver at Butler University in the spring of 2018. An avid chamber musician, Radtke has performed throughout the United States with fellow saxophonist Henning Schröder as part of the Hiding Duo. She is the tenor saxophonist with the Iovi Saxophone Quartet and performs with oboist Pam Ajango as part of the oboe-saxophone duo, Metalloboe. Radtke has performed as a section player with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. She has also done studio recording work for Hal Leonard, Carl Fischer, and KJOS Music Publishing.

Radtke is a Vandoren Artist and Conn-Selmer Artist/Clinician. She performs on a Selmer Paris Supreme alto saxophone, Selmer Paris Supreme tenor saxophone, and a Selmer Paris Series III soprano saxophone.