Saxophone Concerto

Cost:

• Rental: $500.00
  
• Purchase: $1,000.00
  

Movements:
I. Call and Response
II. Refrains
III. Waltz Rounds

Program Notes

This work is dedicated to Taimur Sullivan, of the Prism Quartet, and to the conductor, Vladimir Lande a rising American conductor who is supporting my work wherever possible. For this, I am deeply grateful. The first performance took place June 30, 2010 at the Palace of Beloselsky-Belozersky in St. Petersburg with Mr. Sullivan as soloist with the St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra led by Maestro Lande, their Principal Guest Conductor, in the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. A recording of the work followed on July 2nd and 3rd, 2010, in the Melodia Studio, Vassilevsky Island.

The saxophonists of our era have raised the virtuosic bar to the point of being at the highest level of extraordinary musical artists! They are also taking the lead in championing new music for their instrument. They do not have the wealth of major works for their instrument as do the violinists, cellists, and pianists, for instance, who have centuries of solo works and concertos in the repertoire. It is my hope, that along with many composers from our era, the saxophonists will gain a body of repertoire that they most richly deserve! This piece, in three contrasting movements, provides another of my contributions. The first was a saxophone quartet, GIG(ue), from 1988 that Eugene Rousseau's Graduate Quartet premiered and recorded at Indiana University. My next piece including saxophone was written in 1991 during my Master Artist Fellowship with the Indiana Arts Commission. That piece, Glossolalia, won the 2000 ISCM National Prize and was given its New York premiere in Merkin Hall, with Taimur Sullivan, soprano saxophone.

This new work will appear on a new recording to be released with my violin concerto Lines in Motion, and including my string orchestra piece, Ania's Song: A Pavane for Strings.