 From left: Oasis Saxophone Quartet members James Romain, David Camwell, Nathan Nabb and James Bunte. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 21, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, 515-271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu
The Oasis Saxophone Quartet will perform a variety of 20th century works by composers such as Philip Glass and Henri Pousseur on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Drake University. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will start at 8 p.m. on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main, 2507 University Ave.
“The Oasis Saxophone Quartet is a vibrant and forward-looking ensemble,” said James Romain, Drake associate professor of saxophone and a member of the quartet. “We are dedicated to performing some of the most important recent and emerging works for saxophone quartet, while maintaining a grounding in the outstanding works of the past.”
The quartet has performed at the Cincinnati Conservatory and the National Biennial Conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance in Columbia, S.C. In addition, the ensemble recorded a substantive body of work during a week-long rehearsal and recording session this past July.
The quartet features:
- James Bunte, alto saxophone. He is assistant professor of saxophone and jazz at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He has toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and performed with artists such as Ray Charles and Manhattan Transfer. Bunte holds a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado and a Master of Music from CCM. He is nearly finished with his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from CCM.
- Dave Camwell, tenor saxophone. He is assistant professor of saxophone and jazz studies at Simpson College. He has preformed widely since 1997, including the jazz festivals of Montreux, Calgary and Edmonton. He received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Calgary and Jacksonville State University, a Master of Music from the University of Northern Colorado and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oregon.
- Nathan Nabb, soprano saxophone. He is assistant professor of saxophone at Morehead State University and regularly performs with the St. Louis Symphony and New World Symphony. He has worked with renowned conductors, such as Michael Tilson-Thomas and Marin Alsop. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois and a Master of Music and a Doctor of Music from Northwestern University.
- James Romain, baritone saxophone. He joined the Drake faculty in 2003 and recently was promoted to associate professor. An active commissioner and performer of new works, he premiered a new sonata by Chinese composer Jian-Jun He at the 13th World Saxophone Congress in 2003, and presented two premieres at the 14th World Saxophone Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia. As a jazz saxophonist, he has performed with artists such as Clark Terry, Ron Miles and Eric Gunnison, and has been featured at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Romain received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas and was the first saxophonist to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in performance and pedagogy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
For more information about the concert, call 515-271-3975.