Steven Banks, saxophone
“One senses that Banks has the potential to be one of the transformational musicians of the twenty-first century.” — Seen and Heard International
Xak Bjerken, piano
Benjamin Bowman, Concertmaster, Met Orchestra
Milan Milisavljević, Principal Viola, Met Orchestra
Rafael Figueroa, Principal Cello, Met Orchestra
WHILE INSIDE THE CHURCH, ALL ATTENDEES MUST WEAR A PROPERLY FITTING MASK. AUDIENCE MEMBERS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO SHOW PROOF OF VACCINATION.
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
STEVEN BANKS, SAXOPHONIST/COMPOSER
Winner of the prestigious 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Steven Banks is poised to become today’s leading ambassador for the classical saxophone. A compelling and charismatic performer and an innovative composer, Banks is committed to rethinking and expanding the boundaries of the instrument and classical music itself.
His program will feature an eclectic range of music, ranging from Mozart’s lilting oboe quartet arranged for soprano saxophone and string trio to 20th-century saxophone classics by Debussy and Schulhoff to Steven Banks’ own powerfully expressive works, As I Am and Come As You Are. The afternoon will reveal the full gamut of his artistic persona, instrumental virtuosity, and creative spirit.
PROGRAM
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Quartet for oboe (soprano saxophone) and strings, K. 370 | Program Notes |
| Erwin Schulhoff | Hot Sonate for alto saxophone and piano | Program Notes |
| Steven Banks | As I Am for baritone saxophone and piano | Program Notes |
| Claude Debussy | Rhapsody for alto saxophone and piano | Program Notes |
| Astor Piazzolla | Milonga del ángel for alto saxophone and piano | Program Notes |
| Steven Banks | Come As You Are for tenor saxophone and piano | Program Notes |