Henri Selmer Paris is a French enterprise, manufacturer of musical instruments based at Mantes-la-Ville near Paris. Founded in 1885, it is known as a producer of professional-grade woodwind and brass instruments, especially saxophones, clarinets and trumpets. Henri Selmer Paris used to be family-owned but was sold to Argos-Wityu in 2018. Selmer Paris instruments have been played by many well-known saxophonists such as Marcel Mule, Claude Delangle, Frederick Hemke, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Paul Desmond, Herschel Evans, Zoot Sims, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman and Coleman Hawkins. Among famous Selmer Clarinet players is Benny Goodman in his early career. History Selmer Paris In the late nineteenth century, brothers Alexandre and Henri Selmer graduated from the Paris Conservatory as clarinetists. They were the great-grandchildren of French military drum major Johannes Jacobus Zelmer, grandchildren of Jean-Jacques Selmer, the Army Chief of Music, and two of 16 children in this musical family. At the time, musical instruments and accessories were primarily hand made, and professional musicians found it necessary to acquire skills allowing them to make their own accessories and repair and modify their own instruments. Establishing Henri Selmer & Cie. in 1885, Henri began making clarinet reeds and mouthpieces. In 1898 Selmer opened a store and repair shop in Paris and started producing clarinets. In 1904, Selmer clarinets were presented at the Saint Louis (USA) World's Fair, winning a Gold Medal. Alexandre Selmer established himself in New York in 1909, opening a shop that sold Selmer clarinets and mouthpieces. The H&A Selmer (USA) Company, originally a retail partnership between the two brothers, was incorporated to expand with H. Selmer & Cie retaining a minority interest in 1923, then sold to its American partner George Bundy in 1927, ending the financial interest of H. Selmer & Cie in the company. Selmer UK A semi-independent branch of Selmer for the United Kingdom was created in 1928 under the leadership of two brothers, Ben and Lew Davis. They concentrated primarily on licensing, importing and distribution rather than manufacturing, and by 1939 had grown to become the largest company in the British musical instrument industry. In 1935 Selmer UK began producing sound reinforcement systems under the Selmer name. They expanded their manufacturing facilities by purchasing another P.A. company called RSA in 1946. By 1951 they were manufacturing electric organs and in 1955 they gained the exclusive licensing rights to make Lowrey organs and Leslie organ speakers