Saxophone Studio Update & Schedule

Greetings from Canyon to all of the WTAMU Band Alumni! I am happy to provide an update for some of the exciting things that have been happening in the past year in the WTAMU Saxophone Studio! These students continue to thrive with exciting performances, competition successes, and guest artist collaborations, all while proudly representing WT at major events across the country.

Last spring, Dillon Martin won the WTAMU Concerto Competition, performing Rhapsody by André Waignein with the Symphony Orchestra. In November, he was named the Texas MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition winner, advancing to the divisional round, where he was selected as alternate.

The WTAMU Saxophone Ensemble was invited to perform at the 2024 North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference at Oklahoma State University. At the same event, Dillon Martin was selected to perform in a masterclass with members of the U.S. Air Force saxophone section, and I performed two works with a colleague from North Carolina, collectively the Mirasol Duo.

In October, we hosted guest artist Jacob Nance, a former student of mine and currently a DMA student at Michigan State University. He collaborated with us on a studio recital and gave a riveting masterclass. This semester, we are preparing for two studio recitals, including one featuring music by visiting guest composer Marc Mellits who will be on campus in April. We are also thrilled to be a part of the return of the WTAMU Showcase of Music in May!

Last summer, WT saxophone students expanded their skills and connections by participating in saxophone workshops all over the country. We had WT representation at the Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute in Maine, the American Saxophone Academy in Connecticut, and the Great Plains Saxophone Workshop in Oklahoma, where students worked with world-class artists and collaborated with musicians from across the nation.

The Reverie Quartet (Joseph Fondren, Emanuel Garcia, Michael Larson, and Carter Rybarski) is rehearsing intensively as they prepare to submit recordings for several prestigious chamber music competitions. Their dedication and artistry continue to push the boundaries of excellence, and I’m excited to see their hard work pay off!

I maintain an active performance schedule with the Amarillo Little Theatre and with several jazz and rock groups in town. Last spring, I was honored to work with the Region 1 Jazz Orchestra and this past fall I presented saxophone masterclasses at Wichita State University and Eastern New Mexico University. I also collaborate with two other WT faculty in the Triptych Trio (Evgeny Zvonnikov, violin and Sarah Rushing, piano) and we recently completed several performance tours across Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas.

The studio continues to foster a strong saxophone community through the Canyon-Amarillo Saxophone Ensemble (CASE), now in its third year. This ensemble provides local high school students the opportunity to perform alongside university saxophonists, strengthening the regional saxophone scene.

The WT Saxophone Studio is proud to embody the Buff spirit through excellence in performance, education, and community engagement. I look forward to another incredible year and appreciate all of your support. For those alumni in the music education field, thank you for sending your students to WTAMU and for entrusting us to carry them through the next steps in their musical journeys!

James Barger, DMA
Associate Professor of Saxophone
Conn-Selmer & D'Addario Performing Artist