Results for "Saxophone"

Anthony Rodriguez ARodReeds

Born: June, 1991

Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Anthony Rodriguez has been making music since he was 16, when he first picked up the saxophone and began his classical training. Early on, he performed with the ISO Symphonic Band and Orchestra at venues like Carnegie Hall and Symphony Space, and later represented Xaverian High School internationally as lead Alto Saxophonist at the 2007 Cherry Blossom Festival in Kyoto, Japan.

Anthony’s path has always blended classical roots with versatility. After high school, he studied Music Performance at Brooklyn College, learning from respected mentors Bernard Goldberg (Flute), Edino Biaggi (Oboe), and Paul Cohen (Saxophone). Along the way, he spent several summers at French Woods Festival, performing in concert bands, symphony, and up to a dozen musicals each season—eventually joining the woodwind staff.

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Karolis Šarkus

Born: January 3, 1998

Karolis Šarkus (28) is a Lithuanian jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger shaping a bold contemporary jazz voice in Europe. His music blends lyrical melodies, modern harmony, and cinematic textures with emotional depth and strong narrative flow — rooted in jazz tradition, driven by exploration.

He studied jazz in the USA and Amsterdam, developing a refined and expressive personal style. His debut album Palette of Feelings (2021) introduced his artistic world to a wider audience, earning critical acclaim for its emotional depth and distinctive melodic writing.

Winner of Italy’s Premio Internazionale Massimo Urbani (2021), recipient of Lithuania’s Young Performing Artist Prize (2022), and a member of the Euroradio Jazz Orchestra (2023), Karolis continues to expand contemporary jazz through original music, collaborations, and international performances.

Kit Packham

Born: June 8, 1953

Kit plays and sings swing, jazz, blues, rock'n'roll, rhythm & blues, vintage rock and pop - and anything else that interests him. He also writes songs (music & lyrics) and arrangements. His own 7-piece jive/swing band One Jump Ahead has been his main vehicle since 1984 but he also performs as a solo, duo, trio, quartet, etc right up to big band. He plays in 2 local big bands and a 1920s jazz band and rehearses with a saxophone quartet occasionally. Always interested in new projects. Active within the UK Musicians Union where he currently serves on 2 committees.

John Sweenie

Born: March, 1988

Already known for high-energy and risk-embracing performances, Canadian tenor saxophonist and composer John Sweenie builds his music from that same forward motion—using the urgency of the bandstand as the engine for a language rooted in the bebop lineage while drawing from modern jazz and indie-rock aesthetics. In his work, strong melodic design and elastic rhythm become the means through which he pushes harmonic language to its edge, not as effect, but as a natural extension of that drive.

From the bandstand to the page, that same approach shapes Sweenie’s work: he writes music that frames both individual and collective improvisation, allowing spontaneity to unfold within a clear structural arc. His projects have received support from major arts organizations, and he is the recipient of national awards recognizing his artistic excellence. 

Oscar Laven

Born: May 30, 1991

Oscar Lavën is an acclaimed saxophonist/bassoonist/clarinettist/multi-

instrumentalist, composer and arranger based in the beautiful city of

Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. A busy performer across many

genres presenting an impressive array of performances, Oscar Lavën

has played on stages around the world with many famous artists such as

Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, John Beasley's Grammy-winning MONKestra,

James Carter, Dennis Chambers, Gregg Bissonette, Lalah Hathaway,

Robben Ford, Chris Cain, The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra,

STROMA, Hollie Smith, Rhombus, The Rodger Fox Big Band and many

Laura J Marras

Born: May 21, 1981

Born in Iglesias, Sardinia, Laura J Marras began studying the saxophone at the age of eight with the local S. Cecilia Wind Band of Fluminimaggiore, her hometown. After performing extensively as an alto saxophonist across the Cagliari area, she developed a deep passion for jazz and, in 2013, was admitted to the Jazz Department of the G.P. da Palestrina Conservatory in Cagliari, where she earned her degree in Jazz Saxophone with top honors. In 2018 she joined the Orchestra Jazz del Conservatorio di Cagliari (OJC) as lead alto, performing in theaters, jazz clubs, and festivals throughout Sardinia

Nathan Tokunaga

Born: December, 2006

Nathan Tokunaga is a clarinetist and saxophonist from the San Francisco Bay Area, now studying and performing in New York City. Inspired by early jazz and continually exploring new musical boundaries, his music engages audiences across generations, bringing the joy and spirit of swing to today’s listeners. Tokunaga has performed hundreds of concerts at clubs, swing dances, festivals, and concert halls, and was named a 2026 YoungArts winner in jazz clarinet.

Declan Sheehy-Moss

Born: July 19, 2000

Declan Sheehy-Moss is a genre-bending multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and mixed-media artist born and raised in New York City. Dipping his fingers (and ears) in everything, Declan blends jazz, pop, funk, electronic, and more to produce a searing fusion of sound.

Declan’s digital production and recording skills along with his instrumental and technical prowess combine to create a digital and acoustic mix, supported by analog synths, EWI, and the other quirky instruments assembled at his home studio in Brooklyn, NY.

Since 2017 Declan has since written, produced, recorded, mixed, and released 8 singles and two EPs, also working as a sideman for numerous other artists’ records and live shows such as Redveil, Henry Threadgill, Cisco Swank, Khal!l, Talia Goddess, Twinbrother, and many more. Declan has also performed at a number of renowned venues in the US, such as BAM, The Jazz Gallery, Newport Jazz Fest, Symphony Space, Monterey Jazz Fest, and more.

Zack Varner

     Multi-instrumentalist and composer Zack Varner remains in constant demand on the stage and in the studio. His quartet has performed at the international Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Santo Domingo Jazz Festivals. In his home city of Austin, Texas, he has performed showcases at the Uplift Jazz Festival and the South by Southwest Music Festival. Varner’s solo album release Blues in the Nude features eleven original compositions and has garnered excellent reviews from several established music critics. The Austin Chronicle’s Jeremy Steinberger writes: “Varner expertly honors tradition with hard bop and swing themes while simultaneously exploring and building on the genre's evolution through tango, bossa nova, and samba-infused textures.