| Capitol Quartet performs Sunday at 4 p.m. at BGSU as part of the North American Saxophone Alliance Regional Conference on campus this weekend. The members are front, Andrew Dahlke, baritone saxophone, and back from left, David Stambler, tenor saxophone, Christopher Creviston, soprano saxophone, and Joseph Lulloff, alto saxophone. (Photo provided) |
University students may be heading out spring break, but the halls of the Moore Musical
Arts Center will be ringing with the sound of saxophones.Renowned saxophonist and teacher John Sampen
and his studio at Bowling Green State University will host the North American Saxophone Alliance
Regional Conference starting Friday afternoon and continuing through Sunday afternoon.The event will
bring about 300 professional college and high school saxophonists from a five-state region including
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois Michigan and Wisconsin to campus to play, listen an learn.The conference is a
main event for classical saxophonists, Sampen said. It gives them a chance to learn about new techniques
and new models of honors and hear new music.Many new compositions will get their first airing this
weekend.The Midwest region, Sampen said, is a center of saxophone pedagogy. The guest artists are
Frederick L. Hemke, a professor emeritus at Northwestern University, an Don Sinta, has taught at the
University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music and Ithaca College. Both are internationally acclaimed
performers.Hemke will present a master class at 2 p.m. in Kobacker Hall. Sinta will present a master
class Sunday at 2 p.m. in Kobacker.The Capitol Quartet features four university professors from around
the country who join forces for an ensemble that the Baltimore Sun praised for its "superb
technical control … seamless blend, and exceptional wealth of character in their phrasing."The
conference will feature about 75 performances throughout Saturday and Sunday with large concerts each
day in Kobacker Hall.The concert Friday at 8 p.m. will feature the Donald Sinta Quartet and BGSU’s
20-piece student saxophone choir premiering the saxophone version of John Luther Adams’ "Strange
Birds Passing." Also on the bill will be saxophone choirs from University of Illinois Saxophone and
Central Michigan University. Sampen said this is a rare opportunity to hear such large assemblages of
saxophone.Saturday’s concert will feature the range of styles from jazz played by the David Bixler Jazz
Combo to Sampen’s premiere performance of Gy??rgy Kurt?°g’s "In Nomine all’ongherese." Other
performers on Saturday’s bill are: John and Jonathan Nichol, Jeffrey Heisler, James Umble, Scotty Stepp
and Paul Bro.The Capitol Quartet will perform Sunday at 4 p.m. Sampen said the program will focus on
more serious works in the group’s repertoire.Also on Saturday a high school honors ensemble will perform
at 5:30 p.m.Tickets are $35 for the weekend with a membership to NASA, and $20 for a day tickets.
Admission for Friday’s concert is $10. For more information visit: www.nasa2013bgsu.com.
