EN
FRClassical music for large saxophone-ensemble
Website(s) : http://www.saxophon-ensemble.de
This Ensemble, consisting of 14 saxophonists and a percussionist and well known for their jazzy tone, is committed to fostering the appreciation of the saxophone as a classical orchestral instrument.
Biography
The Tübinger Saxophon-Ensemble consists of 14 saxophonists and one percussionist, many of whom were awarded the prestigious “Jugend musiziert”-awards and played in various national and international orchestras. The repertoire includes arrangements of compositions from all music eras as well as original works written for this specific instrumentation. Many pieces were arranged by members of the ensemble, other arrangements are from the arranger and clarinetist Thomas Krause. The musicians almost exclusively play on old Buescher saxophones, which are modeled after the original design by Adolphe Sax.
More information
The Tübinger Saxophone-Ensemble will present a variety of classical pieces ideally suited to demonstrate the sound of the instrument that was envisioned by Adolphe Sax when inventing the instrument. This sound, however, offers little resemblance with the “jazzy” tone the saxophone is well-known for. Stuttgart’s newspaper “Stuttgarter Zeitung” for example marvels at the ensemble’s “orchestral radiance”. And the “Schwäbisches Tagblatt” reads “regarding the quality and the body of the tone this ensemble is in no way inferior to a full-size symphonic orchestra”. In acknowledgement of this distingusihed sound, the ensemble was awarded a gold medal with distinction in the Australian Music Festival at Sidney Opera House in 2009 as well as Showcase Awards in both the New York Music Festival at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Music Festival at the Kennedy Center in 2014.
Conductor Harry D. Bath was born in 1947 in Portsmouth, England. After successful studies at the prestigious “Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall” in London majoring in oboe, he came to Germany as a military musician and stayed there after finishing his military service. He took the conducting exam (ARCM) at the “Royal College of Music” in London. He served the municipal band in Kirchheim unter Teck as musical director from 1974 until his retirement in 2012. In1986 he was appointed artistic director of the State Wind Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg. During his more than 10 years of work there the orchestra gained an international reputation.
Numerous successes at competitions on state, federal and international levels, as well as recordings well recognized in professional circles have confirmed his reputation as a skilled and sought after conductor in the field of symphonic wind music. This is also reflected by his numerous engagements as guest conductor of renowned orchestras (including Eifflermusiktage, State Wind Orchestra Hesse, Southwest Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band Württembergisches Allgau, etc.), the works of renowned composers (such as Rolf Rudin and Paul Kühmstedt) dedicated to him, as well as his many collaborations with outstanding soloists (S. Mead, A. Mangelsdorf, Ack van Royen, The Rascher saxophone Quartet, and many more).
In 2005 he took over the conductorship of the Tübinger Saxophon-Ensemble.