Huge Congratulations: WT Saxophonist Joseph Fondren Wins Texas MTNA Young Artist Title
CANYON, Texas — Huge Congratulations to West Texas A&M University saxophonist Joseph Fondren, who was named the winner of the Texas State MTNA Young Artist Competition and will advance to represent Texas in the South Central Division in the next round of the competition.
This is the second consecutive year a WT saxophone student has won the state title. Fondren is the son of WT Band alumni Jason and Dawn Fondren.
About Joseph Fondren
Joseph Fondren is a saxophonist and educator based in Canyon, Texas. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance at West Texas A&M University, where he studies under Dr. James Barger.
Joseph has performed extensively throughout the United States, appearing with numerous concert and jazz ensembles. He serves as the tenor saxophonist for the Reverie Saxophone Quartet and maintains a private lesson studio in the Amarillo area.
At West Texas A&M, Joseph is the principal saxophonist of the Symphonic Band and performs with the university’s top Jazz Ensemble. In 2025, he performed at Carnegie Hall with the West Texas A&M Symphonic Band. Joseph has also performed multiple times at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) convention, both with the Texas 5A All-State Band and the WTAMU Symphonic Band. He also earned a top placement at the Houston Underground Saxophone Competition (2023), performed at the NASA 2024 Biennial Conference with the WT Saxophone Ensemble, and won first place at the MTNA Texas Young Artist Woodwind competition in 2025.
Dedicated to his artistic growth, Joseph has attended the Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute (2024, 2025) and the American Saxophone Academy (2024).
About MTNA
Music Teachers National Association is a nonprofit organization comprised of 17,000 independent and collegiate music teachers committed to advancing the value of music study and supporting the professionalism of music teachers. Founded in 1876, MTNA is the oldest professional music association in the United States.
Recruiting, rewarding and retaining the very best students is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is $175 million by 2025 and has currently raised more than $160 million.
