Kahlil Childs

Kahlil Childs is a 16-year-old multi-reedist and composer from San Diego California. He is the leader of the Kahlil Childs Quartet and a member of the Rob Thorsen Quartet which features some of the finest professional musicians in San Diego. He specializes in alto sax and also plays soprano, tenor, and baritone saxophones, as well as bass clarinet and flute. He currently studies with Charles McPherson -- a Detroit legend, and one of the greatest living masters of the alto saxophone. He also studies with Grammy award winning musician & producer Kamau Kenyatta (another Detroit legend). Kahlil is a featured player in the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory under the directorship of renowned trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos. 

Kahlil was named as a Young Artist Grant winner by the Jazz Excellence organization (JEXA) in 2023, and received his award at a red-carpet gala in LA from the great Dionne Warwick. Kahlil also had the honor of playing as a member of the J.C. Heard All-Star High School Band at the 45th Annual Detroit International Jazz Festival in September 2024. Most recently, Kahlil was chosen for the 2025 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra -- one of the finest youth orchestras in the country -- a band that will be playing at the 68th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival under the directorship of the great pianist and bandleader, Gerald Clayton.

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