Monthly Archives: September 2016

Guest saxophonists for the 2016-2017 school year:

Jonathan Bergeron – October 4 2016

David Valdez – November 4 2016

John Nastos – November 11 2016

Ben Wendel – January 27 2017

Noa Even – spring 2017

Walter Smith III – May 15 through 18 2017

Tuesday, October 4 2016: Master class at 1pm (room 167), concert at 7:30pm (Beall).

Program

Duo Sonata for alto saxophone and clarinet (2002)              Gregory Wanamaker (b. 1968)

I   Departure

II   Elegy

III Scherzo

IV Arrival

MAÏ for solo saxophone (1975) / Ryo Noda          (b. 1948)

Glint (2006) / Roshanne Etezady (b. 1973)

brief break

Coltrane (1981) / Dave Heat (b. 1954)

Chamæleon II for clarinet and alto saxophone (2009)           Marcus Karl Maroney (b. 1976)

I   Forceful, exaggerated and strictly rhythmic

II   Schwungvoll

III Lamentoso

IV Allegro molto e leggiero

Artist Biographies

Velocity² is an established clarinet and saxophone duo, with clarinetist John Masserini and saxophonist Jonathan Bergeron. The duo is dedicated to expanding and showcasing the repertoire of clarinet and saxophone chamber music. This is done through their performance of existing clarinet and saxophone works, as well as the commission of new works from active 21^st Century composers. Velocity² is regularly invited to perform at regional and international woodwind events in the United States.

Dr. Jonathan Bergeron is the Associate Professor of Saxophone at Northern Arizona where he teaches applied saxophone lessons, coaches saxophone quartets, and directs the NAU Saxophone Orchestra. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed concerts throughout the United States and abroad including Austria, Germany, Ireland, and Poland. He has also won numerous awards from national and international competitions such as the Carmel International Chamber Music Competition, the Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Artist and Chamber Music competitions, and the Coleman Chamber Music Competition. At a recent concert in Poland, Bergeron received the following praise, “Bergeron’s unhindered alto saxophone playing captivated the audience with his beautiful, noble tone. Bergeron executed complicated and elaborate passages brilliantly with flawless octave leaps and high altissimo. His tone and vibrato provided the audience with a palate painted with many colors” (Twoja Muza Magazyn Muzyczny).

Dr. Bergeron has performed and presented master classes at many universities including the University of Nebraska, the University of Memphis, Duquesne University, the Crane School of Music, the State University of New York at Fredonia, Florida State University, Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, Henderson State University, the University of Utah, The University of Mississippi, Northwestern State University, the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (Germany), the Szczecin Academy of Music (Poland), and the Wroclaw Academy of Music (Poland).

Notably, Dr. Bergeron has performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Jazz Times Convention, and the North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences. He holds degrees from Florida State University and the University of Southern Mississippi where his teachers were Patrick Meighan and Lawrence Gwozdz.

Dr. Bergeron’s saxophone studio continues to receive worldwide attention. His students have received national and international awards such as Grand Prize at the Coleman International Chamber Music Competition, three national first prize awards at the M.T.N.A Chamber Music Competition, Gold Medal at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, first prize at the Plowman Chamber Music competition, and national second prize at the M.T.N.A. Collegiate Artist Competition. Several of Bergeron’s former students are currently performing in world-renowned saxophone quartets such as the Tetraphonics Saxophone Quartet, the Mana Quartet, and Project Fusion.

Dr. Bergeron is a Conn-Selmer performing artist and also endorses Ishimori Ligatures.

John Masserini performs in several international and national venues as a recitalist, concerto soloist, collaborative chamber musician, avant-garde performing artist, and theater musician for national Broadway tours. Notable past international invitations include the International Clarinet Association Conferences (ClarinetFest^®) in 2003 (Salt Lake City, Utah), 2005 (Tokyo, Japan), 2006 (Atlanta, Georgia), 2009 (Porto, Portugal), 2012 (Lincoln, Nebraska), and 2013 (Assisi, Italy), and 2015 (Madrid, Spain). His clarinet/saxophone duo Velocity² released the CD Flux under the Centaur Records label in 2014.

In addition to his more “traditional” work in the field, Masserini has completed several grant-funded performance projects with longtime collaborator Melanie Kloetzel, Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Calgary, which combines music, dance/movement, and various forms of media. International and national invitations to showcase their work include invitations to present at the Congress on Research in Dance (CORD) 2011 Annual Conference: “Moving Music / Sounding Dance” (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Collision 2006: A Symposium on Interarts and Interdisciplinary Practices (Vancouver, British Columbia); and a main-stage appearance at the 2006 On the Boards – Northwest New Works Festival (Seattle, Washington). The film Icarus Fried, derived from one of their works, has appeared in several film festivals, including the 2007 Danca em Foco, International Festival of Video and Dance (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), DANSCAMDANSE 2007 International Dance Film Festival (Ghent, Belgium), and the 2007 Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema (Boulder, Colorado).

John earned a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from Michigan State University where he studied with renowned performer and pedagogue Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, and a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of New Mexico where he studied with Professor Keith Lemmons.

Dr. Masserini holds the rank of Professor in the School of Music and is currently the Associate Dean of the Graduate College at Northern Arizona University. He is a D’Addario Woodwinds sponsored artist.