Justin Hellman
*25 March 1980
Works by Justin Hellman
Biography
I studied music and composition at UC Berkeley where I wrote several short chamber music pieces and a symphonic movement as an honors project. I then worked as a professional bass player in San Francisco for 8 years, performing primarily jazz. I played at several notable venues and festivals, toured and recorded with multiple bands, and released 2 albums of my own compositions: Shakin' it Like a Blue Funk Monkey by the Justin Hellman Quartet and Suite by Sugar Shack. My song Bring Out The Hellman was featured on CBS’s The Good Wife. In 2010 I returned to school. I got a full scholarship from the medical school at University of Chicago, completed my residency in ophthalmology at UC Davis, and studied oculoplastic surgery at Beaumont. In 2020 I moved to Colorado where I returned to composing classical music. I wrote 2 string quartets and recorded them in April of 2022 with the Friction Quartet and Judith Sherman. I am currently working on a piano trio.
About the music
At UC Berkeley there was always an underlying pressure to be modern. However, I am yet to find modern classical music that inspires me as much as Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. I think my quartets reflect that as they would probably be classified as neo-classical or neo-romantic. My 8 years as a professional jazz musician certainly influence my compositional style as well, particularly when it comes to harmony. As a jazz composer I also tend to resist certain modern tendencies, favoring lyricism over harshness and groove over a “free” rhythmic approach.