The Toronto Saxophone Collective (TSC) will end their 2023/24 season on June 2 with a concert that spans a century and a half of music. Along with Dvořák, Gershwin and Steve Reich, a highlight of the concert will be the Canadian premiere of Steven Banks’ Strength to Climb.
Just formed last year, the Toronto Saxophone Collective fills a gap not just in the city’s music scene, but in the world of classical music overall.
The Toronto Saxophone Collective
TSC is a new ensemble in the city’s music scene. Formed in 2023, the group performs music in a wide range of genres and styles from classical to contemporary. The saxophone is a neglected instrument in the world of Western art music, and the Collective aims to demonstrate the possibilities and potential of the instrument.
The ensemble incorporates the entire sax family, from sopranino to the huge bass instrument. Their debut season featured a collaboration with Canadian composer Robert Lemay and the University of Toronto Contemporary Music Ensemble. TSC also held a winter concert fundraiser for Ukrainian orphans in 2023.
The Toronto Saxophone Collective current members:
- Shawn Bennett, Conductor
- Christopher Jones, Soprano/Sopranino Saxophones
- Jason Lau, Soprano Saxophone
- Bingchen (George) He, Alto/Soprano Saxophones
- Justin Massey, Alto/Soprano Saxophones
- Chantelle Tom-Ying, Alto/Soprano Saxophones
- Robert Hess, Alto Saxophone
- Blake Smith, Alto/Tenor Saxophones
- Harrison Argatoff, Tenor Saxophone
- Peter Gilli, Tenor Saxophone
- Stefan Bello, Tenor Saxophone
- Kannan Bloor, Tenor Saxophone
- Jeffrey Leung, Baritone Saxophone
- Yunfei Xie, Baritone Saxophone
- Min Gu Kang, Baritone/Bass Saxophones
The Program
Antonin Dvořák: Serenade in D Minor, Op. 44 (1878)
The Czech composer wrote his Op. 44 at a time when his star was rising in Prague. It’s inspired by Brahm’s Hungarian Dances, using Slavic folk dance music in classical-era forms. The original orchestration was written for a small group of wind instruments along with cello and bass. Todd Yukumoto wrote this transcription for sax ensemble in 2014.
Steven Banks: Strength to Climb (2022) Canadian premiere
American classical saxophonist Steven Banks composed this work for a sax ensemble, specifically the Northwestern University Saxophone Ensemble, with a theme of reflecting on the changes and fragilities that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed. He writes the work around the beloved gospel song Lord Don’t Move the Mountain.
In his own notes, Banks writes, “This song is a reminder to us that hardship is inevitable. We need not run from it. We just need to find the strength to continue climbing.”
Steve Reich: New York Counterpoint (1985)
Reich wrote this piece for a clarinet ensemble. It’s intended to be a sonic version of Manhattan’s constant fast paced environment. Reich composed it in a minimalist style, during a period where he wrote a number of “counterpoint” experiments. The transcription for saxophone takes electronic music inspired by NYC’s hustle and renders it in acoustic instruments.
George Gershwin: An American in Paris (1928)
Born in Brooklyn, Gershwin moved to Paris with an already established style that fused jazz and symphonic music. He studied with Nadia Boulanger and Maurice Ravel, both of whom encouraged his jazzy experimentation. He wrote An American in Paris during his stay in the city, and incorporates multiple saxophone parts in the original score. TSC’s Blake Smith arranged the work for sax ensemble.
- The concert takes place June 2 at 7 p.m. at the College Street United Church, 542 College Street. Entry is by donation/PWYC more info [HERE].
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