An interview with renowned French saxophone Quartet, Quatuor Ellipsos with members Julien BRECHET, Nicolas HERROUET, Sylvain JARRY and Paul-Fathi LACOMBE.

A podcast interview with Preston Duncan, an American saxophone performer and educator and professor at the University of Minnesota.

An interview with British saxophonist and broadcaster, YolanDa Brown.

The Barry Sax Show

Jean‑François Guay studied at McGill University in Montreal and at the Conservatory of Bordeaux, France, where he received his gold medal under the direction of Jean‑Marie Londeix. He also holds a Masters in performance from Laval University in Quebec.

In 2000, Jean-François was the director of the 12th World Saxophone Congress held in Montreal, Canada. A specialist in contemporary music, Jean‑François Guay has commissioned numerous works for the saxophone.

He is currently a professor of saxophone at CÉGEP Marie‑Victorin in Montreal and the University of Montreal. Jean-François is the founding member of the Nelligan Saxophone Quartet which was formed in 1994 with the mandate to showcase the contemporary and classical repertoire for the saxophone.

Show Notes: Organising the 12th World Saxophone Congress. Fundraising for saxophone events. The silence after the intensity of a large event. Starting the Association des Saxophonistes du Québec. Bringing Canadian saxophonists together. Getting to know the world's saxophone players. Limited Canadian opportunities for saxophone and orchestra. Getting started playing the tuba. Learning with teachers Rémi Ménard, Abe Kestenberg and Jean-Marie Londeix. Having encouraging and critical teachers. Squeezing in practice around other activities. Learning to be efficient out of necessity. Thoughts on working from memory. Keeping fit for a long career. Recordings as a documentation process. The importance of living a rich life. Teaching at Cégep Marie-Victorin and the Université de Montréal. Working with great Canadian composers. The importance of playing good music. The Art of Fugue. The joy of being with people. Focussing on the task and not the risk. Always be over-prepared. Exciting new projects coming up. Being part of an orchestra but feeling apart. Having a fire inside of me!

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Alain Crepin, a many-sided musician, was born in 1954 in Mettet (Belgium). He is founder of the Adolphe Sax International Competition held in Dinant, Belgium and since 2005 has been president of the jury.

At first he studied saxophone, cello and piano in Dinant and later, he went to study the saxophone with François Daneels at the Royal Brussels Conservatory of Music.

For 21 years he was the musical director of the Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Air Force. King Albert II promoted Alain Crepin to the rank of major and later he was appointed the artistic director of all the bands of the Belgian Army.

He is professor of saxophone at the Royal Brussels Conservatory of Music and professor of orchestration and conducting at the Conservatory of Music of Esch-sur-Alzette (Grand Duchy of Luxemburg).

As a composer, Alain Crepin has written numerous works for symphonic band as well as many solo instrumental pieces with piano accompaniment. Many of these compositions have been recorded on CD and he is published in Belgium, France and The Netherlands.

As a soloist or conductor, he has recorded some 60 compact discs and performed all over the world.

Show Notes: The development of the Adolphe Sax International Competition. Helping young saxophone players. The town of Dinant, the birthplace of Adolphe Sax. Sponsors and funding for large events. To be good saxophonist, you have, at first, to be a good musician. Listening to over 500 candidates for a competition. Conducting the Belgian airforce bands. A typical teaching week in Brussels. If you don't have a great start, you will never be great. Being director of bands for the Belgian Airforce. Being prepared for anything at a concert. Keeping fit to help the saxophone playing. Recording 60 albums. The importance of playing in chamber ensembles. Loving the work that you do. The possibility of legacy in music. Working with Belgian composers. Keeping a positive frame of mind. Loving wine, music and friends. Thoughts on retirement and the future.

The Barry Sax Show

Debra Richtmeyer, an internationally renowned saxophonist and pedagogue, has been Professor of Saxophone at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1991 and has performed as a soloist and clinician in North America, Europe, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Thailand and China. She has performed or recorded as a concerto soloist with numerous bands and orchestras, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Slovak Radio Orchestra, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the United States Navy Band. She was principal saxophonist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 1981-1991 and with the St. Louis Symphony from 1992-2002. She is Past-President and Honorary Life Member of the North American Saxophone Alliance and an Artist/Clinician for Conn-Selmer Incorporated.

Debra has premiered commissioned works at eight World Saxophone Congresses and four North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences. In 1997 in Valencia, Spain she became the first woman to be invited to perform a concerto with orchestra at a World Saxophone Congress. In 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand, she became the first woman to be invited to give a master class at a World Saxophone Congress.

Prior to her appointment at the University of Illinois, Professor Richtmeyer was a saxophone professor at the University of North Texas and an instructor at Lawrence Conservatory. She received her degrees from Northwestern University where she was a Teaching Assistant and student of Dr Frederick L. Hemke.

Richtmeyer’s students and former students are leaders in the next generation of classical saxophonists and teachers.

Show Notes: Getting started on curved soprano in a family of musicians. Hearing Hemke perform live for the first time. Learning with my parents, Larry Combs and Fred Hemke. Learning to be my own artist. Helping students to teach themselves. Needing competition for motivation. Increasing the practice hours to develop a foundation. Decreasing the practice hours with a foundation. Teaching efficiency for students to increase their learning speed. Breaking down music to learn it fast through correct repetition. Listening from the heart. How to write a book. Advising the Committee on the Status of Women in the Saxophone. Building awareness of minorities in music. Being the first woman to perform a concerto and give a masterclass at a world saxophone congress. Making tough musical choices when life gets busy. Learning to say no. Working with composers. Keeping in touch with former students. The source of original interpretation. Using recordings without being overly influenced by them. Practising with artistic intention. Improvising at home. Effortless to make music sound better. Directing energy to an audience. Building endurance with breaks. Embracing the possibility of failure as a learning process by stepping outside your comfort zone.

The Barry Sax Show

About Derek Brown:
From his 30+ million views across social media to his appearance on international television and NPR’s Weekend Edition, Billboard-charting saxophonist/innovator Derek Brown and his one-of-a-kind solo “BEATBoX SAX” project have been exploding across the world music scene.

Derek has performed solo concerts in all 50 United States and over 25 countries around the world. Known for his boundless energy on stage, creative audience interaction, and musical depth, Derek’s live shows always surprise and delight. His ongoing “BEATBoX SAX” music videos and tutorials on YouTube have been enormously popular among saxophonists and music lovers alike with over 100,000 Youtube subscriptions.

Previously the director of jazz studies at Abilene Christian University for six years, Derek received his BM in Music Performance (Classical and Jazz) from Hope College in 2006 and his MM in Jazz Studies at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music in 2008.

Crossing genres from jazz to classical to funk, without looping or electronic effects, saxophone innovator Derek Brown’s unique playing style must be seen in person to be believed!

Show Notes: 50 state tour of the USA in an RV. Getting started in the school band. Listening to Kenny G. 6 years teaching at Abilene Christian University. Working out what makes me unique. There will always be someone practising more than me. Avoiding competition in music. How to use youtube to boost your career. As a student, being encouraged to explore. Early struggles with self-esteem. Smaller schools allowed me to have more responsibility. I felt lost in my mid-20s. Staying one day ahead of the students. The importance of variety and contrast. The composition process and coming up with ideas. Practise routines when not on tour. Practising in the RV while driving. Hearing my own compositions played by students. Thoughts on self-publishing. Promoting music through social media. 90% of a career is music business, 10% craft. You're can’t please everybody. Making video tutorials. Viral videos. The most effective social channels. Posting but not scrolling on social media. Post and get off. The importance of a website to keep control of your content. How to organise your day. Tips on preparing for a performance. Future plans.

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About Javier Zalba

Javier Zalba graduated from the National School of Art, in 1976, specialising in clarinet. Later he studied flute and the full range of saxophones in classical, jazz and Cuban styles.

His early training as a clarinetist helped to develop his love of chamber music and he later became interested in jazz. As a Cuban, the range of popular rhythms of the Island has been an important influence on him.

His arrival at the legendary Cuban Modern Music Orchestra in 1978, at only 23 years old, opened the doors to his extensive career. He has performed Concertos by Mozart and by Bach, worked with the Irakere group, Cubanismo, Afrojazz, Tropicana Cabaret Orchestra and perhaps most well-known internationally, the Buena Vista Social Club.

He works as a professor at the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and at the Superior Institute of Art.

He has given master classes and workshops in Colombia, Denmark, Spain, England, and Switzerland and as a composer and pedagogical author, has published many books with Advance Music and Edition Gruber.

Show Notes: Too old to study the violin. Getting starting with Enrique Pardo and Roberto Sanchez Lopez. An early career starting with Orquesta Cubana De Música Moderna. Doubling on woodwinds. The importance of playing in ensembles. Having respect for the audience. Listening to a wide variety of music. Getting my hands on the first jazz books to learn without a teacher. Meeting with Michael Brecker. Writing my first books for learning Cuban music. The importance of being published. Working with Buena Vista Social Club. Loving music books. Putting sound first. Finally having access to the internet.

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Paul Cohen is one of America's most sought-after saxophonists for orchestral and chamber concerts and solo recitals. He has appeared as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Richmond Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, New York Virtuosi, Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony and the Philharmonia Virtuosi. His many solo orchestra performances include works by Debussy, Creston, Ibert, Glazunov, Martin, Loeffler, Husa, Dahl, Still, Villa-Lobos, Tomasi, and Cowell.

He has also performed with a broad range of orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, New Jersey Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic, Group for Contemporary Music, Greenwich Symphony, Charleston Symphony, New York Solisti, and the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra.

Dr. Cohen is on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, Rutgers University, Queens College and New York University.

Dr. Cohen holds M.M and DMA degrees from Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Galan Kral, Joe Allard, and Sigurd Rascher.

He has published more than 100 articles on the history and literature of the saxophone in music journals such as the Saxophone Journal, Instrumentalist, CBDNA Notes, Clarinet and Saxophone Society Magazine of Great Britain, The Grainger Society Journal, and the Saxophone Symposium, and since 1985 a feature column, “Vintage Saxophones Revisited,” for the Saxophone Journal.

Combining his musicological pursuits with performing activities, Dr. Cohen has rediscovered and performed lost saxophone literature, including solo works for saxophone and orchestra by Loeffler, Florio and Dahl (for winds), as well as rare chamber works by Grainger, Ornstein, Sousa, Cowell, Siegmeister, and Loeffler.

His company, To the Fore Publishers, publishes his arrangements and settings for saxophone ensemble as well as original, historical, and contemporary saxophone works from selected composers. Dr. Cohen frequently presents lectures on the saxophone, illustrating his talks with rare instruments, manuscripts, and archival material from his extensive private collection.

About Paul Cohen: The Paul Cohen saxophone collection. Starting out as a chemistry major. Choosing music because it is a passion. Working eight days a week. The satisfaction of students learning something new. The musical level of saxophonists is not rising as fast as the technical and tonal aspects. Learning with an orchestral oboist. Learning with Joe Allard and Sigurd Raschèr. Working on the Dahl concerto. Having a unique way of teaching. The importance of the flexibility of tone production. Productive practising in the middle of the night. Never playing from memory. Joe Allard and tone production. Learning to play vintage mouthpieces and equipment. Learning adaptability at a young age. Practising in short bursts. Allowing a few days to learn a passage. An organically evolving career. Dividing lessons into three parts. Teaching on the weekends. The importance of working with composers. Doing non-jazz improvisation. Avoiding long tones. Achieving orchestral parody of the saxophone. Sounding the same on any mouthpiece. Mistakes are inevitable as part of our humanity. Current and future projects.

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Todd Yukumoto is lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa where he teaches applied saxophone and directs the University of Hawai’i Saxophone Choir. He is also saxophonist in the Royal Hawaiian Band, the only full-time municipal band in the United States.

Todd received a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Music Education from the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa and went on to receive a Master’s degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with world-renowned classical saxophonist Harvey Pittel.

He has performed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Austin Civic Orchestra, the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra and as a versatile jazz musician, also performs with local and visiting artists. He has played regularly with the well-known Hawaiin rock band, Kalapana and has released several commercial recordings.

Todd founded the not-for-profit Hawaii Saxophone Foundation with a mission to raise the level of awareness and education of the saxophone (with the emphasis to classical music) in Hawaii.

Show Notes: Band was very popular in school and I loved it. There were not many teachers available to start with. Originally I wanted to be a band director. Studying with Harvey Pittel and his influence in Hawaii. Hearing the West Point Band saxophone quartet. The importance of being flexible as a player. If it involves the saxophone, I'm happy. In music, you need as many life experiences as possible. Taking care of business. Focus on what is at hand at the time. Day job with the Royal Hawaiian Band. Practise routines for a busy lifestyle. Playing without tension for a long healthy career. Developing a career without a plan. The importance of working with composers. Being isolated on an island. The more experiences you get for yourself, the more you have to offer. Great, melodic, beautiful saxophone playing should always be with us.

The Barry Sax Show Podcast.

About Clifford Leaman

Clifford Leaman is in great demand as a soloist and clinician throughout the world and has been a featured guest artist in China nine times. He has performed as a concerto soloist with the ShenZhen Symphony Orchestra, at the XII and XV World Saxophone Congresses, and the North American Saxophone Alliance’s 2006 and 2014 Biennial Conferences. He was also a featured concerto soloist at the 2008 International Navy Band Symposium in Washington D.C.

Professor of saxophone at the University of South Carolina, Clifford Leaman received the Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Lebanon Valley College, and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in performance from the University of Michigan where he was a student of Donald Sinta.

An avid supporter of contemporary music, Dr Leaman has commissioned and given the world premiere performances of numerous works, including concertos by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, Leslie Bassett, William Bolcom, and Michael Colgrass.

Leaman has released four critically acclaimed compact discs of works for saxophone and piano on the Equilibrium label. Leaman has also performed extensively with percussionist Scott Herring, giving concerts and masterclasses throughout the world since 2005 when they formed the RoseWind Duo.


Show Notes: Live podcast interview from the Melbourne International Saxophone Festival. Getting started on the saxophone but missing out on trombone. Playing in the school band. Studying with David Bilger and Donald Sinta. Having seeds planted in my brain. Letting out my inner demon. Teaching in Universities for 34 years. The importance of listening to others play. Milk the time that you have. Tips on how to avoid embarrassing yourself on stage. Juggling 18 pieces at once. The joy of music can be a great motivator. My next performance is my motivation. Practising in rhythms. Leaving our legacy in our students. The importance of making recordings. Recordings as an artistic snapshot in time. The right repertoire for the right audience. Travelling and playing. Frequent travel to China. Always play at your best to give a great first impression. Juggling administrative work and music. Commissioning composers becomes a legacy. Improvising in music. Spending time alone right before a performance. Future projects.

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About Joseph Murphy: Joseph Murphy has been saxophone professor at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania since 1987. He has also been director of bands, department chair, and taught a variety of courses. He received his Bachelor of music education from Bowling Green State University (OH), and his Masters and Doctorate degrees from Northwestern University. His teachers have included John Sampen, Fred Hemke and he also received a Fulbright Award for a year of study in Bordeaux, France to study with Jean-Marie Londeix.

His guitar and saxophone ensemble, Duo Montagnard was formed in 2002 and has performed over 300 concerts. Joe has premiered over 90 new works and has recorded 10 albums. Joe has performed in all 50 states, 8 Canadian provinces, 24 countries and 6 continents, including performances at 10 World Saxophone Congresses.

Show Notes: Getting started in the. 6th grade. Learning with the greats, John Sampen, Jean-Marie Londeix and Fred Hemke. Studying in Bordeaux, France. Londeix had a reason for everything. Hemke and Sampen were very intuitive teachers. Know how a piece goes before you learn it. The importance of sight reading. Listening to your body for a long and healthy career. Tips on playing from memory. The difficulty of teaching and practising. Making your own interpretations. Performing in the 50 states. Working closely with composers. Raising funds for international travel. Tone, fingers, brain.

https://www.barrysax.com/

Anna Stepanova is one of the leading saxophonists of Ukraine. She graduated from Russian Academy of Music named after Gnesin and studied with Margarita Shaposhnikova. She is a founder and resident of the International Golden Saxophone competition, a Selmer Paris and BG France Artist and a winner of numerous international competitions.
Anna is a teacher at the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after Ushinskiy, soloist of the Odessa Municipal brass theatre named People's Artist of Ukraine A. Salik and a soloist of the Odessa Philharmonic Society. She gives recitals and masterclasses both in Ukraine and abroad including countries such as Russia, Belarus, Moldova and China.
Anna's repertoire includes music of various styles, from Baroque music to music of the 21st century, dedicated to her by Ukrainian and Italian composers.

Show Notes:

Being born into a family of musicians. Playing the saxophone and being a pop singer. Students beginning at a young age. Learning with Margarita Shaposhnikova in Russia. Growing up without really hearing the saxophone. The war in Ukraine. The development of the Golden Saxophone Competition. Learning step by step. Learning with authoritarian teachers. Teaching Chinese students. Working and being a single parent. Tips on promotion to develop a career. House cleaning for a calm performance. The improving level of saxophone in Ukraine.
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American Saxophonist Timothy Roberts, currently serves as Professor of Saxophone and Instrumental Division Chair at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA. He retired as Principal Saxophonist and a National Tour Soloist with the United States Navy Band in Washington, DC, where he also served as Coordinator of the Navy Band's International Saxophone Symposium which became the largest-attended public saxophone event in the world today.

As one of the ensemble's premier concert soloists, Tim performed for five U.S. Presidents, many foreign dignitaries, and patrons throughout 48 states and around the world from 1987-2011.

Tim makes frequent appearances with the Dallas Symphony, performing on European festival tours and on numerous recordings for the Dorian, Delos, and Hyperion compact disc labels.

Roberts received both his Doctorate of Musical Arts and his Masters of Music degrees from the Catholic University of America and received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, where he studied with Fred Hemke.

Roberts has had numerous pieces composed especially for him, and a strong proponent of music education, Roberts has published more than thirty articles for Saxophone Journal.

An avid student of music and life, Roberts currently makes his home in Winchester, Virginia with his wife and two children.

Show Notes: My father was a professional orchestral musician. Playing professionally with my father. Starting with fundamentals. The importance of being able to sight read. Joining the US Navy band. Finding out the hard way that I wasn't as good as I thought was a good thing. The influence and mentorship of Dale Underwood. Playing for presidents. Playing concertos on tour around the 50 states. Extending the Saxophone Symposium. A typical day in the navy band. Being an efficient practiser. Visiting Australia. The importance of working with composers. Making sure that new music is played more than once. New recording projects.

About Matthew Lombard: Matthew Lombard is a South African concert saxophonist, is founding director of the South African Saxophone Society and helped to plan the first National Saxophone Symposium in 2014. He has performed as chamber musician and soloist in South Africa, North America, China, England, Scotland, Croatia, and Germany and is proud to be an ambassador of the Henri Selmer Paris company.

In 2017, Matthew Lombard founded the South African Saxophone Society to further enrich the musical culture in South Africa by promoting the development of saxophonists. The Society will support professional development of saxophone educators and performers, contribute to the international academic community, provide educational support to underserved rural communities in outreach projects, and ultimately aim to host national and international conferences and congresses. 

Matthew actively commissions new music though the South African Music Rights Organization, and continues to premiere these works internationally. Matthew completed his Master of Music degree at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music in the United Kingdom, studying with Rob Buckland and is currently completing his doctoral studies at the University of California in Los Angeles under Professor Douglas Masek. Soon Matthew will be returning to South Africa to continue teaching at Pretoria Boys’ High School, the University of Pretoria and the University of South Africa.

Show Notes: Getting started with Marc Botha. Inspired by recordings of Arno Bornkamp and Claude Delangle. The importance of a strict training early on. Dealing with embouchure changes in the early years. The concept of sound is very important to me. Studying with Rob Buckland was a big turning point. A characteristic of a great teacher is that their students do not sound the same. Studying in the USA with Douglas Masek. Ideas to grow the saxophone community in South Africa. Working with Karen Devroop to develop the first National Saxophone Symposium. There is opportunity because there is a lack of opportunity. Deadlines motivate me. Getting into the recording studio as often as possible. The importance of nature. I know my path is predestined. Playing Escapades for John Williams. There is no point playing music that everyone else is playing. Making music is more important than playing all the notes perfectly Getting sleepy before walking on stage. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing.

The Barry Sax Show. About Tim: Soprano chair of the renowned PRISM Quartet and internationally-acclaimed soloist, Timothy McAllister has been hailed as a “virtuoso…one of the foremost saxophonists of his generation” (The New York Times). Since his solo debut at age sixteen with the Houston Civic Symphony, his career has taken him throughout the world, with solo performances in such venues as Prince Royal Albert Hall in London, the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

McAllister has premiered over 200 new works by today’s most eminent and emerging composers ranging from solo compositions to saxophone quartets and chamber works. In 2009, he appeared as saxophonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the Gala concert performing the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize and multiple Grammy-winning composer John Adams’ major work, City Noir. In 2017 he performed the work with the famed Berlin Philharmonic, which appeared on the Digital Concert Hall and he recorded for the Berlin Philharmonic’s “John Adams Edition” anthology.

In August 2013, McAllister gave the World Premiere of John Adams’ Saxophone Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer in the Sydney Opera House. This work was recorded for Nonesuch Records and the St. Louis Symphony, which won the 2015 GRAMMY Award for Best Orchestral Performance.

A dedicated teacher, McAllister spends his summers as a distinguished Valade Fellow/Instructor of Saxophone for the Interlochen Center for the Arts and has served as a Guest Professor at the famed Paris Conservatoire. In 2014 he was appointed Associate Professor of Saxophone at The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance, following the legacies of Larry Teal and Donald Sinta, after holding the same post at Northwestern University, succeeding the legendary Frederick Hemke.

Show Notes: Visiting Australia. Getting started in a school band. The wanted to give me a tuba, but the saxophone was the most interesting and coolest instrument. I grew up in a very competitive environment. The level of playing in Texas schools was very high. BMX biking was more important to me than the saxophone. Learning with my first specialist, Chester Rowell. Hearing recordings of classical saxophone for the first time got me hooked. Hearing John Adam's music for the first time. Planning five years ahead, at least. Learning with Donald Sinta. Learning and now teaching at Interlochen summer camp. Hearing Denisov for the first time. The importance of listening to interments besides saxophone. Recording my first album while still a student. The decreasing worth of recording albums. Completing two masters degrees at the same time. Practising can become stressful. If you can play from memory, you really know a piece. Improvisation is pivotal to music making. Working with jazz artists. Prism Quartet. Admiration for Claude Delangle. Teaching at the Paris Conservatoire for the first time. Being happy to play John Adam's forever. We have to make everyone love the saxophone. We are a wonderful saxophone community. A lot of the most widely played orchestral pieces have saxophone now. More bananas, less coffee. When I play, I am thinking about just the spirit of the music and the person who wrote it. Thoughts on recording. I don't want us to miss out on the greatest composers of today writing for the saxophone. Tim McAllister Website

Sue is a D’Addario Woodwinds Artist and a Claude Lakey Endorsee. She was the Assistant Director of the 16th World Saxophone Congress, 2012 and as one of Scotland’s leading contemporary saxophonists she has given UK and Scottish premieres of many new works. She is one half of the McKenzie Sawers Duo who recently released their first CD, “The Coral Sea”, with Delphian Records. Sue is also the leader and founder of the Scottish Saxophone Ensemble who were part of the Made in Scotland Music Showcase, 2013 and the Director of the Scottish Saxophone Academy. She regularly performs with Salsa Celtica and the Glasgow Improvisor’s Orchestra and recently performed with her own band, “Dark Grooves” at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival 2013. She was chosen as part of Serious Music’s talent development programme, Air Time, in 2014. Sue also plays in Syntonic with bass player Emma Smith and runs Bitches Brew which promotes female improvising talent.

Show Notes: Wanting a saxophone but getting a flute. My first teacher, Mickey Deans. Practising the night before a lesson. Developing a love of sound with teacher Kyle Horch. Lessons can be both positive and negative experiences. Students are often neglecting improvisation. Practising can be chaos. Developing efficiency in practise. Teaching students how to practise. Being told to sound like myself and no-one else. Developing the Scottish Saxophone Ensemble. Taking music to the remote parts of my country. Finding your own voice and acting on it. Developing a distinctive sound to be memorable. Adapting to and managing injuries. The importance of stretching before playing. Organising a World Saxophone Congress. Releasing new albums. Working with composers, including John Harris. Finding more time in a day.

About Arno Bornkamp: Dutch saxophonist Arno Bornkamp (born 1959) is the archetype of the modern virtuoso, feeling equally at home in traditional and contemporary repertoire. Hailed as a lyrical musician with a great sense of performance, Bornkamp studied at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam with Ed Bogaard. He has won many awards, the 'Silver Laurel of the Concertgebouw' and the 'Netherlands Music Prize' among the most noteworthy. The latter enabled him to go abroad, studying in France with Daniël Deffayet and Jean-Marie Londeix, in Japan with Ryo Noda as well as working with composers such as Luciano Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen.Since his 1982 solo debut in Rome, performing the 'Concertino da Camera' by Jacques Ibert, he has played more than two hundred concerts with orchestras around the world, including the most important works from the saxophone repertoire in addition to new concerti written especially for him, such as the 'Tallahatchie Concerto' by Jacob TV. In addition to his solo career, chamber music is one of Arno Bornkamp’s great loves. For over thirtyfive years Bornkamp was a member the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet and his duo with pianist Ivo Janssen existed almost as long. The many CDs he has made on various labels since 1990 have garnered national and international praise. On some of these recordings, Bornkamp has taken a certain period of saxophone history and put it under the microscope, on others he highlights a specific composer. Being one of the most important personalities of saxophone in the world, Bornkamp took the initiative to create SAX14, a huge, multidisciplinary saxophone festival in Amsterdam in November 2014, celebrating the 200th birthday of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. Arno Bornkamp is a renowned teacher, leading an international saxophone class at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. In the summer he teaches at various master classes.

Show Notes: Getting started in Amsterdam. In two years I had played Ibert with orchestra. Deffayet was my hero. Enriching life enriches music. 35 years of Aurelia Saxophone Quartet. Changing personnel in chamber music. Working with composers. Putting the notes in the right place. Making intonation the priority. Animals don't make mistakes, only human beings.

About Branford Marsalis: Branford Marsalis has stayed the course. From his early acclaim as a saxophonist bringing new energy and new audiences to the jazz art, he has refined and expanded his talents and his horizons as a musician, composer, bandleader and educator – a 21st-century mainstay of artistic excellence. Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans, his first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands. A growing fascination with jazz as he entered college gave him the basic tools to obtain his first major jobs, with trumpet legend Clark Terry and alongside his brother Wynton in Art Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers. When the brothers left to form the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, the world of uncompromising acoustic jazz was invigorated. Branford formed his quartet in 1986 and, with a few minor interruptions in the early years, has sustained the unit as his primary means of expression. Branford has not confined his music to the quartet context, however. Classical music inhabits a growing portion of Branford's musical universe. A frequent soloist with classical ensembles, Branford has become increasingly sought after as a featured soloist with such acclaimed orchestras as the Chicago, Detroit, Düsseldorf, and North Carolina Symphonies and the New York Philharmonic. Branford’s screen credits include the original music for Mo’ Better Blues and acting roles in School Daze and Throw Momma from the Train. Branford has also shared his knowledge as an educator, forming extended teaching relationships at Michigan State, San Francisco State and North Carolina Central Universities and conducting workshops at sites throughout the United States and the world. As for other public stages, Branford spent a period touring with Sting, collaborated with the Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby and served as musical director of the tonight show starring Jay Leno. Some might gauge Branford Marsalis's success by his numerous awards, including three Grammys and (together with his father and brothers) his citation as a jazz master by the national endowment for the arts. To Branford, however, these are only way stations along what continues to be one of the most fascinating and rewarding journeys in the world of music.

Show Notes: Growing up in a musical family and a musical city. In New Orleans playing an instrument is cool for kids. There are ridiculous amounts of musicians in New Orleans and they all work. Studying at Berkeley College of Music. Organising musicians for the National Basketball Association half-time show. Building a massive sound vocabulary. Melody should be at the top of the list.  The challenge of music was to be like a chameleon. It’s not music law, it’s music theory. Orchestral appearances were never really part of the plan. There’s only one way to get better at anything, go out and be really bad at it in front of people. I’m in it to play better. I believe that the only way to eliminate mistakes is by making them.  I never met a man that improved by kissing his own ass. Children are more resilient than many adults, if they are allowed to be resilient. You learn how to create sounds that evoke an emotional effect. There’s a lot of music written for the saxophone, I would hesitate to call it great. I’m a nerd, so I’m all about technical mastery, but not at the expense of musical mastery. Everything you learn makes you better. In a niche, you have dedicated yourself to a very limited career. There’s certain things you have to practise do every day. Improvisation is supposed to feel like it’s happening right in front of you, not like it’s meticulously prepared.  I was terrified when I played with the New York Philharmonic. Recording is documenting how I thought about music at a given point in time. Hearing is harder than knowing. You have to be willing to be bad at something for a long time to get good at it....

Asya Fateyeva, a classical saxophonist born on the Crimean peninsula in 1990, has a wide repertoire which includes original works written for her instrument, as well as Baroque, Classical and Romantic pieces which she often arranges herself. In 2014 she became the first woman to reach the final of the prestigious Adolphe Sax International Competition in Belgium. As a winner of the first prize at the German Music Competition in 2012, Asya Fateyeva recorded her debut album of works by Mishat, Ibert, Albright and Decruck. For this project, she was awarded the Best Newcomer ECHO Klassik in 2016. The daughter of a professional footballer, Asya Fateyeva began taking piano lessons at the age of six and saxophone at age 10. Later, she was taught by Professor Margarita Shaposhnikova in Moscow and took masterclasses in Gap, France. Asya moved to Germany in 2004 where she was taught by Daniel Gauthier. Study trips to France, where she was taught by Claude Delangle in Paris and Jean-Denis Michat in Lyon, provided crucial creative inspiration. Fateyeva has performed with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, with the Tchaikovsky Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Ukrainian National Philharmonic, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, the Giuseppe Verdi Symphony Orchestra of Milan and many German orchestras.

Show Notes: Concerto soloist after 6 months of lessons. Falling in love with the classical saxophone. Adopting a family to study saxophone. The Russian way of putting the music first. Music and technique are not separate things. Adapting your sound for chamber music. Listening to yourself from an outside perspective. Zooming in on problems. Having confidence to perform from memory. The importance of improvisation to know music more deeply. Inside the laboratory of saxophone events. Giving music everything. The imperfection of beauty. Performing in the state of concentrated calm. Developing a wide range of skills, other than playing. Curiosity, discovery and development.