Stephen Philip Harvey
Saxophonist. Composer. Educator.
Awarded 2026 John Stites Jazz Award & 2025 Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Grant
Stephen Philip Harvey is an award-winning, Philadelphia-based saxophonist, composer, and bandleader whose music combines expressive improvisation, cinematic storytelling, and the traditions of contemporary Black American music. He leads SPH+2, Sphinx, the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet, and the Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra.
His upcoming release, The Pen is Mightier (2027) surveys original pieces inspired by Black American literature. This comes on the heels of the ensemble’s Chamber Music America-commissioned suite Mythos premiere Other recent releases include, Golden Hour, which highlights the intimate interplay of SPH+2, and his 2025 large-ensemble release, Multiversal: Live at Bop Stop, which was praised by DownBeat Magazine as “instrumental jazz fireworks.”
Harvey’s compositions have been performed throughout the United States and internationally. NEA Jazz Master Roscoe Mitchell calls him “an exceptional musician with a very bright future.”
“A composer and bandleader with a knack for translating com-book action into instrumental jazz fireworks. Multiversal goes further – making the listener feel not just like a reader of the story, but a participant in this cinematic, superhero-themed recording.” – Veronica Johnson, DownBeat Magazine
“A bold, super-powered live album that cements his place as one of contemporary jazz’s adventurous large-ensemble voices… [Multiversal] shows Harvey at the top of his compositional, arranging, and bandleading game.” – Mike Gates, UK Vibe
“His compositions and first-class arrangements connect the jazz tradition with the spirit of contemporary African American music.
The eleven tracks captivate with colorful instrumentation, brilliant solos, and admirable interplay between the orchestra’s sections.” — Michael van Gee, Jazz’n’More
SPH Recent & Upcoming
Releases
The Pen is Mightier
Stephen Philip Harvey Octet
coming February 5, 2027
Golden Hour
SPH+2
Multiversal: Live at Bop Stop
Stephen Philip Harvey Jazz Orchestra
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