McGill University Saxophone Studio

Last week several Schulich Saxophone Studio members officially received their hard-earned degrees! Please join us in celebrating Amelia McLeod (MMus), Madelyn Carter (MMus), Gemma Gillies (MMus), Toby Kimura (MMus), and Yunxiang Wan (BMus)! We also celebrate Devyn Collette (BMus), who will be attending a later graduation ceremony!

These inspiring musicians, curious educators and performers, and simply lovely human beings have all made indelible marks on the Schulich Saxophone Studio (and the Schulich School of Music as a whole!). Toby, Madelyn, and Gemma have invested an incredible amount of time at McGill, having completed their BMus degrees here as well! Devyn will also be staying to complete her MMus! We're incredibly proud of all their work, and we're very excited to see what's next for each of them.

9 of 9!

Recital Season for the Schulich Saxophone Studio is coming to a a rousing close tomorrow at 17h00! 1st year master's student and recent Schulich Romantic/Contemporary Concerto Competition finalist, Sylvan Wilkinson, will take the stage in Tanna Schulich Hall!

We encourage you to stop by to support Sylvan with us as present repertoire ranging from quintessential French saxophone performance practice to contemporary standards in the repertory!

Next up for the Schulich Saxophone Studio's Recital Season, first year master's student Liz Andresen will be taking the stage!

Alongside their quartet members, Andresen will be presenting a varied program of repertoire duo ensemble, quartet, and for solo with electronics! Be sure to join in Tanna Schulich Hall at 17h00 TOMORROW to cheer them on!

We're almostttt at the finish line for Recital Season!! Please join the Schulich Saxophone Studio THIS Saturday afternoon (15h30) to celebrate 1st year master's student Christopher Curry!

Presenting his 1st year Master's Recital entitled "Introspections -Reflections," Christopher is excited to present "music for reflection, transformation, and identity" in collaboration with a host of fellow Schulich students from various instrument disciplines. Be sure to come by on Saturday in the MMR (Elizabeth G Wirth Building, -2 Floor) to cheer him on with us!

Recital Season continues TOMORROW for the McGill Saxophone Studio!

Tomorrow (May 4) and Tuesday (May 5), two more of our wonderful graduating master's students will be presenting their final master's recitals. Catch Madelyn Carter tomorrow afternoon at 15h30 in Tanna Schulich Hall, then Gemma Gillies in the MMR on Tuesday at 18h00!

Recital Season for the Schulich Saxophone Studio continues next weekend!

This Saturday, May 2nd, please join us in celebrating two graduating Master's students, Amelia McLeod and Toby Kimura, as they deliver their final recitals at McGill! McLeod and Kimura have been hard at work developing their programs, and we're incredibly excited to see their preparations manifest in unforgettable musical experiences! Both recitals are free to the public, and directly after each other (15h30 and 18h00) in the same location (MMR, Elizabeth Wirth Building, -2 floor!).

Tomorrow our very own Madelyn Carter (MMus Y2), otherwise known as Master Sailor (MS) with the HMCS/NCSM Donnacona Band, will be premiering a new solo work during the ensemble's "From Harbour to Hall" concert!

Under the direction of Sub-Lieutenant Frédéric-Alexandre Michaud, MS Carter will premiere a new Fantaisie Concertante for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble "Le Héros Pathétique" by Sailor 1st class Charle Gagnon. MS Carter will be performing in Oscar Peterson Hall tomorrow - for a completely sold out show!

We are incredibly proud of all her work with NCSM Donnacona Band. Alongside her military band service, she has greatly contributed to the Schulich Saxophone Studio through her undergraduate and master's studies!

TOMORROW in the Wirth Opera Studio at 15h00, our very own Metal Saxophone Quartet (Kirby Leitz, DMus Y4; Christopher Curry, MMus Y1; Toby Kimura, MMus Y2; and Amelia McLeod, MMus Y2) will be performing in the Digital Composition Class Concert!

The ensemble has been working closely with this year's composer in residence Nicholas Ma on developing his master's thesis composition entitled "For You (But not really For You)! We're very proud of all their hard work, and we are also incredibly thankful to Nicholas for collaborating with our studio this year!

We have SEVERAL graduating students within the Schulich Saxophone Studio - all of which have been preparing all year for capstone recitals! Now that we are officially in Recital Season, we'll highlighting each one as the month goes on!

To kick off recital season, we have two wonderful BMus Senior Recitals one after another! Devyn and Yunxiang are both incredibly excited to take the stage in Tanna Schulich Hall this Monday, April 20th (at 18h and 20h respectively) for their final recitals of their degrees. Both events are free, open to the public, and must-see experiences!

Here at the McGill Saxophone Studio, our studio members are consistently seeking ways to enrich our musical lives. Often this spirit manifests in unique performative projects, research endeavors, commissioning projects, chamber ensembles experiences, and so forth! Each member pursues with inspiring fervor their own musical journey. All that said... we are incredibly excited to highlight the results of one such collaborative endeavor as we near the end of 2025!

First year master's student Christopher Curry has been hard at work this year collaborating with Québécois composer Robert Lemay towards a new recording!

This past February, the Wind, String, Hammer Trio (Christopher Curry, Saxophone; Connor Sobieraj, Cello; and Nicolas Ma, Piano) had the wonderful opportunity to record Lemay's "A Short Answer!" Recorded in the Multimedia Media Room (MMR, Elizabeth Wirth Music Building), they were also greatly supported by the audio mixing expertise of Rebecca Lee.

Fast forward to now, all parties involved in this collaborative project are incredibly proud of the resultant recording! It is available NOW and ready for your listening pleasure here:

https://soundcloud.com/robert-lemay/a-short-answer?fbclid=IwY2xjawOuTFRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFBNW5Pd1hNYjhBS0dvWE5Cc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpqT8pPk182Qi97iqVBb6hUCVg_fOINkhNHqa6C9Sh-GsZRM7hvMehLM8Y97_aem_AVAzyzy6dd3Oa-zzTRzXvA

A Short Answer A Short Answer Trio for alto saxophone, cello and piano Composer: Robert Lemay Performers: Wind, String, and Hammer (Christopher Curry, saxophone, Conrad Sobieraj, cello, and Nicholas Ma, piano) Rec