About.AMERICAN SINGLE REED SUMMIT
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Established in 2017The American Single Reed Summit was established in the 2017 by Larkin Sanders, Neal Postma, Kristine Dizon, Stacy Christofakis, Sara Eastwood, Scotty Phillips, and Kevin Vorabout.
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Our GoalOur goal is to establish deeper connections with clarinetists and saxophonists at all levels, creating meaningful musical experiences, and opportunities for future musical generations.
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Board Members
Dr. Neal Postma,
President
Dr. Neal Postma is a saxophonist based in South Carolina where he enjoys a multi-faceted music career. In addition to being an active performer and pedagogue, he works in arts administration as the president of non-profit and in music business.
Neal is a founding member and president of the American Single Reed Summit which had its inaugural event in 2018 at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. In addition to featuring internationally-renowned artists, the summit included over 120 recitals, masterclasses, and lectures. The next summit will be held at the University of South Carolina in October 2020.
As an educator, Neal currently is currently serves on the faculties of Winthrop University and Claflin University where he teaches saxophone, clarinet, and music and appreciation and coaches chamber ensembles. He previously held the position of MYP Director of Western Music at the Guangdong Country Garden International School (an IB accredited institution) near Guangzhou, China. Sought after as a clinician, Neal has given masterclasses and recitals at the Cincinnati Conservatory, The University of Colorado, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Denver School of the Arts.
As a soloist, Neal has been featured at conferences and festivals around the world. He has been the featured artist at the Blue Ridge Saxophone Festival, Palm Beach Atlantic University Front Wave New Music Festival, Franklin College Saxophone Day and others. Active in the saxophone community, he has also given performances at World Saxophone Congresses in Zagreb and Strasbourg, The North American Saxophone Alliance National and Regional Conferences, The US Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music Conference.
An avid proponent of new music, Neal has commissioned and premiered over a dozen solo and chamber works by composers such as Carter Pann, Adam Silverman, Marc Mellits, Anthony Green, Brendan Keenan, Matthew Browne, Greg Simon, and Hunter Ewen. Neal has personally led consortiums commissioning two concertos from Matt Browne, a work for two saxophones and piano from Grammy-nominated composer Carter Pann, and a piece for alto saxophone and electronics by Anthony Green. Recently he was a featured artist at the Front Wave New Music Festival in West Palm Beach, Florida working with composer John Fitz Rogers. In 2018 he premiered a new work for two saxophones and piano by Adam Silverman at the World Saxophone Congress.
In addition to representing D’Addario Woodwinds as an endorsing artist, he serves in their Woodwind Method Program. This program promotes products at universities, public schools, lessons studios and music studios across the US. In this capacity, he has given over 100 clinics at leading institutions in both the Southeast US and California.
Neal holds degrees from the University of South Carolina (DMA), University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM) and the University of Colorado (BM). His primary teachers are Clifford Leaman, James Bunte, and Tom Myer
Neal is a founding member and president of the American Single Reed Summit which had its inaugural event in 2018 at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. In addition to featuring internationally-renowned artists, the summit included over 120 recitals, masterclasses, and lectures. The next summit will be held at the University of South Carolina in October 2020.
As an educator, Neal currently is currently serves on the faculties of Winthrop University and Claflin University where he teaches saxophone, clarinet, and music and appreciation and coaches chamber ensembles. He previously held the position of MYP Director of Western Music at the Guangdong Country Garden International School (an IB accredited institution) near Guangzhou, China. Sought after as a clinician, Neal has given masterclasses and recitals at the Cincinnati Conservatory, The University of Colorado, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Denver School of the Arts.
As a soloist, Neal has been featured at conferences and festivals around the world. He has been the featured artist at the Blue Ridge Saxophone Festival, Palm Beach Atlantic University Front Wave New Music Festival, Franklin College Saxophone Day and others. Active in the saxophone community, he has also given performances at World Saxophone Congresses in Zagreb and Strasbourg, The North American Saxophone Alliance National and Regional Conferences, The US Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music Conference.
An avid proponent of new music, Neal has commissioned and premiered over a dozen solo and chamber works by composers such as Carter Pann, Adam Silverman, Marc Mellits, Anthony Green, Brendan Keenan, Matthew Browne, Greg Simon, and Hunter Ewen. Neal has personally led consortiums commissioning two concertos from Matt Browne, a work for two saxophones and piano from Grammy-nominated composer Carter Pann, and a piece for alto saxophone and electronics by Anthony Green. Recently he was a featured artist at the Front Wave New Music Festival in West Palm Beach, Florida working with composer John Fitz Rogers. In 2018 he premiered a new work for two saxophones and piano by Adam Silverman at the World Saxophone Congress.
In addition to representing D’Addario Woodwinds as an endorsing artist, he serves in their Woodwind Method Program. This program promotes products at universities, public schools, lessons studios and music studios across the US. In this capacity, he has given over 100 clinics at leading institutions in both the Southeast US and California.
Neal holds degrees from the University of South Carolina (DMA), University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM) and the University of Colorado (BM). His primary teachers are Clifford Leaman, James Bunte, and Tom Myer
Dr. Larkin Sanders,
Vice President
Dr. Larkin Sanders is a native of Branson, Missouri and currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri where she maintains a private studio (teaching clarinet, chalumeau, and recorder), performs with Xiphias Trio and other various ensembles, owns The Clever Clarinetist, and is the Vice President of the American Single Reed Summit. Most notably, Larkin is the founder, executive artistic director, and a clarinetist of the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, a summer music festival in Branson, Missouri. Dr. Sanders is also a Woodwind Method Clinician for D'Addario Woodwinds, for which she frequently gives masterclasses and lectures. She is also a Selmer Paris Artist and performs on Selmer Présence clarinets in addition to D'Addario Reserve mouthpieces and Reserve Classic reeds.
In addition to her activities as a clarinetist, teacher, and administrator, Dr. Sanders is also a composer and author who has a fondness for songs and unique chamber ensembles. Larkin has had her works performed in a variety of settings. Her works are inspired by the talents of her friends and colleagues, and the genres of her works span from chamber operettas, art songs, children's music, and more. She is also the author of The Creation of the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra: The Performer’s Field Guide to Music Festival Foundation and The Olympic Clarinetist Daily Scale Method: Scales and Exercises for Everyday Use, used by The Florida State University and other studios as their official fundamental method.
Dr. Sanders completed her Doctor of Music degree in clarinet performance and a certificate in arts administration at Florida State University in 2015. At FSU, she studied clarinet with Dr. Frank Kowalsky and Dr. Deborah Bish while teaching a course in clarinet fundamentals for first-year undergraduate students. Larkin also holds a master of music degree from Michigan State University where she studied clarinet with Dr. Justin O’Dell and composition with Dr. Ricardo Lorenz. Previously, she earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas while studying clarinet with Dr. Stephanie Zelnick and Dr. Larry Maxey.
In addition to her exciting musical activities, Dr. Sanders is an aquatic enthusiast who enjoys sailing and scuba diving, and she is an avid craftswoman who enjoys sewing, furniture rehab, and other creative adventures. In her free time, she enjoys creating things, going on adventures, reading, and spending time with her Norwegian forest cat, Miles, and her dog, Miko.
In addition to her activities as a clarinetist, teacher, and administrator, Dr. Sanders is also a composer and author who has a fondness for songs and unique chamber ensembles. Larkin has had her works performed in a variety of settings. Her works are inspired by the talents of her friends and colleagues, and the genres of her works span from chamber operettas, art songs, children's music, and more. She is also the author of The Creation of the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra: The Performer’s Field Guide to Music Festival Foundation and The Olympic Clarinetist Daily Scale Method: Scales and Exercises for Everyday Use, used by The Florida State University and other studios as their official fundamental method.
Dr. Sanders completed her Doctor of Music degree in clarinet performance and a certificate in arts administration at Florida State University in 2015. At FSU, she studied clarinet with Dr. Frank Kowalsky and Dr. Deborah Bish while teaching a course in clarinet fundamentals for first-year undergraduate students. Larkin also holds a master of music degree from Michigan State University where she studied clarinet with Dr. Justin O’Dell and composition with Dr. Ricardo Lorenz. Previously, she earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas while studying clarinet with Dr. Stephanie Zelnick and Dr. Larry Maxey.
In addition to her exciting musical activities, Dr. Sanders is an aquatic enthusiast who enjoys sailing and scuba diving, and she is an avid craftswoman who enjoys sewing, furniture rehab, and other creative adventures. In her free time, she enjoys creating things, going on adventures, reading, and spending time with her Norwegian forest cat, Miles, and her dog, Miko.
Dr. Anastasia Christofakis,
Secretary and Treasurer
A native of the Quad Cities, Adam obtained his BA in both Music and Business with a Marketing Concentration in 2018 from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. His goal with this double major was to one day be an arts administrator. During his time at Truman, Adam performed with the Wind Symphony, Truman Woodwind Choir, and the orchestra. Additionally, he served as the Media Director and Photographer for the band department. During his time in Kirksville, he gained an appreciation and a passion for nonprofit organizations, working in local nonprofits Take Root Cafe and the Adair County Family YMCA, as well as spending a summer on the Administrative Staff for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. He has studied saxophone with John Vana, Dr. Randall Smith, and Dr. Xin Gao. His affiliations include Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Delta Sigma Pi, and Beta Gamma Sigma. Adam is currently a full-time graduate student at Western Illinois University - Quad Cities pursuing his MBA and is working in membership at the Two Rivers YMCA.
Josh Redman, Board Member
Josh Redman is a freelance clarinetist and pedagogue based on Long Island, NY. He appears regularly with Cross Island, a collaboration with cellist Suzanne Mueller and pianist Elinor Abrams Zayas. Committed to nurturing the next generation of clarinetists, Josh maintains an active private studio where he teaches secondary and collegiate students. He has made contributions to and served as an editor for two of Larry Guy’s books: Articulation Development for Clarinetists and 32 Etudes by Cyrille Rose: A New Edition. He has also penned articles for The Clarinet magazine and an essay that appears in Kalmen Opperman: A Legacy of Excellence by Denise Gainey (Carl Fischer). Josh was interviewed for an exclusive episode of Clarineat, a clarinet podcast, and has been invited to speak about music business and clarinet pedagogy and equipment at universities and public schools across the country, including University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music and Boston Conservatory. His mentors include author and pedagogue Larry Guy, the late recording artist and impresario Lawrence Sobol, and the late, renowned master teacher, craftsman, and performer, Kalmen Opperman.
For seven years, Josh held the position of Senior Product Specialist at D’Addario and Company, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of music accessories. There he oversaw the development and marketing of the clarinet product portfolio and managed forty clinician consultants as part of the D’Addario Woodwinds Method program, which he founded and was the recipient of a Music Inc. excellence award and the subject of a feature article in the publication.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Josh is employed by Leviton Manufacturing as Product Manager, is pursuing his MBA in Marketing at Stony Brook University, and owns and operates a rental property.
For seven years, Josh held the position of Senior Product Specialist at D’Addario and Company, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of music accessories. There he oversaw the development and marketing of the clarinet product portfolio and managed forty clinician consultants as part of the D’Addario Woodwinds Method program, which he founded and was the recipient of a Music Inc. excellence award and the subject of a feature article in the publication.
In addition to his musical pursuits, Josh is employed by Leviton Manufacturing as Product Manager, is pursuing his MBA in Marketing at Stony Brook University, and owns and operates a rental property.
Dr. Connie Frigo, Board Member
Dr. Connie Frigo is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, teacher, speaker, and founder of numerous festivals. She is sought-after presenter on topics relating to professional development, entrepreneurship, creativity, and women in music. She is a steadfast organizer of interdisciplinary events with a focus on the creative process and engaging new audiences, resulting in meaningful intersections of performers, composers, socially-conscious non-profits, students, concerned and active citizens, and arts leaders. Currently the Associate Professor of Saxophone at the University of Georgia, she is also the inaugural Chair of the North American Saxophone Alliance's Committee on the Status of Women, where her leadership has overseen the launch of a women’s mentoring program.
Highlights of Frigo’s career include six years with the premiere U.S. Navy Band, Washington, D.C., a position she won as a junior in college; seven years touring nationally as the baritone saxophonist with the New Century Saxophone Quartet; and faculty positions at the Universities of Tennessee, Maryland and Ithaca College prior to UGA.
Frigo is an active clinician and guest performer at universities domestically and internationally and appears regularly at national and international conferences. In recent years, she has traveled to Italy, Russia, Brazil, Panama and Croatia to perform and teach. She has served on the faculties of the American Saxophone Academy at the Eastman School of Music, the Great Plains Saxophone Workshop, and the Dakota Chamber Music Festival. In August 2017, her trio, The Yargo Trio, featuring Angela Jones-Reus (flute) and Liza Stepanova (piano), released their debut album Voices, Reimagined, produced by Mark Records. As a chamber musician, she has received support from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Copland Fund, the Netherland-America Foundation, Meet the Composer, and Chamber Music America.
Frigo has been a part of commissioning and premiering the works of many composers including JacobTV, Bang On a Can co-founder David Lang, Ben Johnston, John Fitz Rogers, Joel Love and Peter van Zandt Lane, among others. In 2020, the Yargo Trio will premiere a new work written for them by Lowell Liebermann.
Frigo is a Henri Selmer Paris artist and D’Addario artist. For the North American Saxophone Alliance, she has served as Coordinator of Competitions (2007-2010), program committee member (2012) and program chair (2014) for the biennial conferences. She is a Fulbright Scholar to the Netherlands. Her degrees are from Ithaca College (BM), the University of Illinois (MM), Conservatorium van Amsterdam (post-graduate diploma) and the University of South Carolina (DMA). Her teachers include Arno Bornkamp, Clifford Leaman, Steven Mauk, and Debra Richtmeyer.
Highlights of Frigo’s career include six years with the premiere U.S. Navy Band, Washington, D.C., a position she won as a junior in college; seven years touring nationally as the baritone saxophonist with the New Century Saxophone Quartet; and faculty positions at the Universities of Tennessee, Maryland and Ithaca College prior to UGA.
Frigo is an active clinician and guest performer at universities domestically and internationally and appears regularly at national and international conferences. In recent years, she has traveled to Italy, Russia, Brazil, Panama and Croatia to perform and teach. She has served on the faculties of the American Saxophone Academy at the Eastman School of Music, the Great Plains Saxophone Workshop, and the Dakota Chamber Music Festival. In August 2017, her trio, The Yargo Trio, featuring Angela Jones-Reus (flute) and Liza Stepanova (piano), released their debut album Voices, Reimagined, produced by Mark Records. As a chamber musician, she has received support from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Copland Fund, the Netherland-America Foundation, Meet the Composer, and Chamber Music America.
Frigo has been a part of commissioning and premiering the works of many composers including JacobTV, Bang On a Can co-founder David Lang, Ben Johnston, John Fitz Rogers, Joel Love and Peter van Zandt Lane, among others. In 2020, the Yargo Trio will premiere a new work written for them by Lowell Liebermann.
Frigo is a Henri Selmer Paris artist and D’Addario artist. For the North American Saxophone Alliance, she has served as Coordinator of Competitions (2007-2010), program committee member (2012) and program chair (2014) for the biennial conferences. She is a Fulbright Scholar to the Netherlands. Her degrees are from Ithaca College (BM), the University of Illinois (MM), Conservatorium van Amsterdam (post-graduate diploma) and the University of South Carolina (DMA). Her teachers include Arno Bornkamp, Clifford Leaman, Steven Mauk, and Debra Richtmeyer.
Planning Committee
Scotty Phillips, Programming Coordinator
Saxophonist Scotty Phillips has been heard in performance across the United States, Canada, France, Croatia and Poland. He has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall (NY), Jazz at Lincoln Center (NY), Schermerhorn Symphony Center (TN), Center for New Music (CA), Wychwood Barns (ON), Princeton Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series (NJ), Spectrum (NY), ETHOS New Music Series (NY), Performing Arts Series of First Presbyterian Church (IA), Roche Visiting Artist Series (PA), First Tuesday Performance Series (GA), Opening Nights (FL), Ratusz Staromiejski w Szczecinie (Poland), Nowosolski Dom Kultury (Poland), and Wałeckie Centrum Kultury (Poland). He has also appeared as a soloist with the Florida State University Wind Orchestra, Orlando Concert Band, Peacock Wind Ensemble, a guest artist at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, Oklahoma State University, University of South Florida and with the New York City Opera, Tallahassee Symphony, Flagstaff Symphony, and the National Music Festival Orchestra.
Phillips is the tenor saxophonist of Singularity Saxophone Quartet. The quartet’s performances include Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Princeton Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series, Title Pending Series, just to name a few. They were previously finalists in the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, and a quarterfinalist at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Singularity has also appeared as guest artists at Northern Arizona University, SUNY Fredonia, and Mercyhurst University. The quartet is also a member of the Silverstein Works Inspiring Pro Team and performs exclusively on Silverstein Ligatures.
Mr. Phillips is also an accomplished musician in the popular and jazz styles. He has performed with The Temptations, jazz legends Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Conrad Herwig and composer/arranger Jim McNeely. He was also part of the United States delegation sent to Grenoble, France for International Meetings of Young Musicians, being 1 of 6 American musicians selected for the trip. Mr. Phillips also has performed in numerous musicals such as Catch Me If You Can, Urinetown, Little Shop of Horrors, Aida, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hairspray.
He has performed at conferences of the North American Saxophone Alliance, College Music Society, American Bandmasters Association, College Band Directors National Association, Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium, United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, among other festivals and symposia. He has taught master classes at Northern Illinois University, SUNY Fredonia, Mercyhurst University (PA), Oklahoma State University, and Zespół Szkół Muzycznych im. F. Nowowiejskiego w Szczecinie (Poland).
Scotty is currently Assistant Professor of Jazz at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA where he lives happily with his wife. His primary teachers are Patrick Meighan, Jonathan Bergeron, Anita Handelsman, and Tony Vacca.
Phillips is the tenor saxophonist of Singularity Saxophone Quartet. The quartet’s performances include Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Princeton Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series, Title Pending Series, just to name a few. They were previously finalists in the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, and a quarterfinalist at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Singularity has also appeared as guest artists at Northern Arizona University, SUNY Fredonia, and Mercyhurst University. The quartet is also a member of the Silverstein Works Inspiring Pro Team and performs exclusively on Silverstein Ligatures.
Mr. Phillips is also an accomplished musician in the popular and jazz styles. He has performed with The Temptations, jazz legends Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Conrad Herwig and composer/arranger Jim McNeely. He was also part of the United States delegation sent to Grenoble, France for International Meetings of Young Musicians, being 1 of 6 American musicians selected for the trip. Mr. Phillips also has performed in numerous musicals such as Catch Me If You Can, Urinetown, Little Shop of Horrors, Aida, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hairspray.
He has performed at conferences of the North American Saxophone Alliance, College Music Society, American Bandmasters Association, College Band Directors National Association, Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium, United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, among other festivals and symposia. He has taught master classes at Northern Illinois University, SUNY Fredonia, Mercyhurst University (PA), Oklahoma State University, and Zespół Szkół Muzycznych im. F. Nowowiejskiego w Szczecinie (Poland).
Scotty is currently Assistant Professor of Jazz at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA where he lives happily with his wife. His primary teachers are Patrick Meighan, Jonathan Bergeron, Anita Handelsman, and Tony Vacca.
Sara Eastwood, Operations Manager
Sara Eastwood maintains an active career as a recitalist, orchestral musician, and educator. Sara is the Instructor of Clarinet and Saxophone at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and is a Woodwind Method Clinician for D’Addario Woodwinds. She has performed with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Ocala Symphony Orchestra and can be heard on recordings on the Equilibrium and Naxos labels. She has also performed at the World Saxophone Congress, United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and the International Clarinet Association.
Sara earned her Doctor of Music degree from Florida State University, her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Clarinet Performance from the University of Michigan. Her teachers include Daniel Gilbert, Fred Ormand, Frank Kowalsky, Deborah Bish, and Jonathan Holden.
Sara earned her Doctor of Music degree from Florida State University, her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Clarinet Performance from the University of Michigan. Her teachers include Daniel Gilbert, Fred Ormand, Frank Kowalsky, Deborah Bish, and Jonathan Holden.
Kristine Dizon, International Competition Coordinator
An international artist and teacher, Kristine Dizon has performed in Europe, Asia, and South America. Recently, she was a Visiting Professor at the University of Saint Joseph in Macau as part of the Faculty of Creative Industries. She has taught clarinet masterclasses in Cyprus, Thailand, Perú, and Poland. An advocate for music education, Kristine has been a part of several socio-cultural projects that include the Philharmonie de Paris-Project DEMOS, Conservatoire de Montargis (OAE) and the Minnesota Project Opera. She has premiered works by Agnieszka Zdrojek-Suchodolska, Nicolas Bacri, Kryštof Maratka, and Reinaldo Moya. She had several performances at ClarinetFest 2018 in Oostende, Belgium with Barbara Borowicz, Cyprus Clarinet Choir, and the Canarian Clarinet Camerata with Radovan Cavallin. In 2017, she guest taught at the VI Taller para Jóvenes Clarinetistas organized by Clariperu, served as part of the international jury for the V Concurso de Bandas Escolares 2016 where she held a residency with PeruBandas and taught clarinet masterclasses in Cusco and Lima, Peru. Other notable performances include VII Congreso Nacional de Clarinete in Madrid, Spain and at ClarinetFest 2017 in Orlando, Florida.
Ms. Dizon is a recipient of the Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia grant for the International Doctoral Program of Cultural Studies at the Universidade de Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon for her research “Remaking: The Reshaping of Sound in Portuguese Musical Comedies”. She was awarded the J. William Fulbright/Camões Institute Scholarship to study clarinet and orchestral conducting at the Escola Superior de Música Artes e Espectáculo with António Saiote. Ms. Dizon received a Master’s degree in Clarinet Performance at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and degrees in European History and Music at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Kristine Dizon is the Co-Founder, Programming Director, and Resident Conductor of the Gran Canaria International Clarinet Festival. She is the Coordinator of the International Clarinet Competition of the American Single Reed Summit. Kristine performs exclusively on F.A. Uebel Clarinets, Silverstein Works, and Barkley Brazil Mouthpieces.
Ms. Dizon is a recipient of the Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia grant for the International Doctoral Program of Cultural Studies at the Universidade de Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon for her research “Remaking: The Reshaping of Sound in Portuguese Musical Comedies”. She was awarded the J. William Fulbright/Camões Institute Scholarship to study clarinet and orchestral conducting at the Escola Superior de Música Artes e Espectáculo with António Saiote. Ms. Dizon received a Master’s degree in Clarinet Performance at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and degrees in European History and Music at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Kristine Dizon is the Co-Founder, Programming Director, and Resident Conductor of the Gran Canaria International Clarinet Festival. She is the Coordinator of the International Clarinet Competition of the American Single Reed Summit. Kristine performs exclusively on F.A. Uebel Clarinets, Silverstein Works, and Barkley Brazil Mouthpieces.
Kevin Vorabout, Secondary Outreach Coordinator
Kevin Vorabout is a woodwind specialist who currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana. Vorabout is a avid orchestral and chamber musician. Prior to arriving to Bloomington, he has performed with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Conway Symphony Orchestra, and participated in the Interharmony International Music Festival as a clarinetist. Vorabout is also sitting in the tenor saxophone chair of the Empyrean Saxophone Quartet, who have advanced to the Division round of the MTNA Chamber Competition. As a doubler, Vorabout has performed with the Indiana University Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance, Cardinal Stage Theatre, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre and has also been brought on as an IU Cinema Artist. Mr. Vorabout is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Multiple Woodwind Performance at Indiana University and received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Central Arkansas.
Amy Humberd, Social Media Coordinator
A captivating clarinetist, Amy Humberd has appeared throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. In November of 2017, she presented her Carnegie Hall debut as the second prize winner of the Concert Artists International Virtuoso Competition, and she has performed various concertos with student and professional orchestras throughout the United States, including Weber’s Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major and Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622.
She is a founding member of the Civitasolis Reed Quintet, a group dedicated to innovative and interactive concert performances. Recently Civitasolis was selected as semi-finalists in the Coltman chamber music competition, and they will present their Carnegie Hall debut recital in May 2019. With this group, she and the other members created an annual composition competition to promote the creation of new music for the reed quintet genre.
A substitute clarinetist with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, she has also performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Tallahassee Ballet, the Tallahassee Community Chorus, and the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. She has been selected to present at several national conferences, including the American Single Reed Summit and the North American Saxophone Alliance Region 6 Conference.
Outside of the performance hall, she is an accomplished teacher. Most recently she was appointed to the clarinet faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. In addition, she has presented clinics and masterclasses in Tennessee, and she has experience coaching chamber music, giving masterclasses, and teaching technique classes at Florida State University.
As an entrepreneur and advocate for the arts, she is a coordinator of Classical Revolution - Tallahassee, an organization dedicated to presenting free classical music concerts in community and neighborhood venues, and she has been published in The Clarinet (Volume 45, Issue 1). Currently she is the Social Media Coordinator for the American Single Reed Summit.
A graduate assistant at Florida State University, she is pursuing a Doctoral degree while studying with Jonathan Holden and Deborah Bish. Formerly a student of Howard Klug, she earned both an M.M. and Performer’s Diploma in Clarinet Performance from the Jacobs School of Music where she had the privilege of studying early clarinet performance with Eric Hoeprich. She began her studies at Lee University where she earned a B.M. in Music Education and a B.A. in Psychology while studying with Peter Cain and David Shaffer.
She is a founding member of the Civitasolis Reed Quintet, a group dedicated to innovative and interactive concert performances. Recently Civitasolis was selected as semi-finalists in the Coltman chamber music competition, and they will present their Carnegie Hall debut recital in May 2019. With this group, she and the other members created an annual composition competition to promote the creation of new music for the reed quintet genre.
A substitute clarinetist with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, she has also performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Tallahassee Ballet, the Tallahassee Community Chorus, and the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. She has been selected to present at several national conferences, including the American Single Reed Summit and the North American Saxophone Alliance Region 6 Conference.
Outside of the performance hall, she is an accomplished teacher. Most recently she was appointed to the clarinet faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. In addition, she has presented clinics and masterclasses in Tennessee, and she has experience coaching chamber music, giving masterclasses, and teaching technique classes at Florida State University.
As an entrepreneur and advocate for the arts, she is a coordinator of Classical Revolution - Tallahassee, an organization dedicated to presenting free classical music concerts in community and neighborhood venues, and she has been published in The Clarinet (Volume 45, Issue 1). Currently she is the Social Media Coordinator for the American Single Reed Summit.
A graduate assistant at Florida State University, she is pursuing a Doctoral degree while studying with Jonathan Holden and Deborah Bish. Formerly a student of Howard Klug, she earned both an M.M. and Performer’s Diploma in Clarinet Performance from the Jacobs School of Music where she had the privilege of studying early clarinet performance with Eric Hoeprich. She began her studies at Lee University where she earned a B.M. in Music Education and a B.A. in Psychology while studying with Peter Cain and David Shaffer.
Dr. Tracy Patterson, Jazz Coordinator
Dr. Tracy Patterson is an energetic and diverse performer who is equally equipped as a jazz and classical saxophonist. He has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician worldwide and has premiered several works for the saxophone. Patterson is distinguished as a D’Addario and Yamaha Performing Artist and exclusively performs on D’Addario reeds and Yamaha saxophones.
As Associate Professor of Saxophone and Woodwind Chair at Winthrop University, he directs the award-winning Swingin’ Eagles Jazz Ensemble, teaches applied saxophone, and coaches saxophone chamber ensembles.Patterson made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2017 with the Winthrop University Wind Symphony performing Dr. Mark Lewis’, Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Band. He has performed concertos with the University of Central Oklahoma Wind Symphony, the Winthrop University Wind Symphony, and the Carolina Wind Orchestra as well as with noted artists Natalie Cole, The Temptations, Robin Eubanks, Bob Mintzer, Wayne Bergeron, Steve Lippia, Linda Eder, Lorna Luft, Brett Eldridge, and Darius Rucker. He toured the United States, Mexico, and Europe with the Jason Harms Jazz Quintet, Duo Amizade, Duo Holsten, and the Winthrop Faculty Combo and performed at a private event hosted by President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush. Patterson presents master-classes and lectures at several conferences annually including the North American Saxophone Alliance, Music Teachers National Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and the South Carolina Music Educators Association. The South Carolina Band Directors Association honored him as the 2016 Jazz Educator of the Year. An active orchestral musician, Patterson has appeared multiple times with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Patterson has been a guest artist at the Charlotte Jazz Festival, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Jazz Festival, the Dizzy Gillespie Jazz Festival, the Simpson College Jazz Festival, and the Redbud Jazz Festival at Northern Oklahoma College. Patterson holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance from Texas Tech University, a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Central Oklahoma, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Northeastern State University, He has previously served on the faculty at Lubbock Christian University and Texas Tech University. He resides in Tega Cay, South Carolina with his wife, Joy, and their daughter, Evelyn.
As Associate Professor of Saxophone and Woodwind Chair at Winthrop University, he directs the award-winning Swingin’ Eagles Jazz Ensemble, teaches applied saxophone, and coaches saxophone chamber ensembles.Patterson made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2017 with the Winthrop University Wind Symphony performing Dr. Mark Lewis’, Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Band. He has performed concertos with the University of Central Oklahoma Wind Symphony, the Winthrop University Wind Symphony, and the Carolina Wind Orchestra as well as with noted artists Natalie Cole, The Temptations, Robin Eubanks, Bob Mintzer, Wayne Bergeron, Steve Lippia, Linda Eder, Lorna Luft, Brett Eldridge, and Darius Rucker. He toured the United States, Mexico, and Europe with the Jason Harms Jazz Quintet, Duo Amizade, Duo Holsten, and the Winthrop Faculty Combo and performed at a private event hosted by President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush. Patterson presents master-classes and lectures at several conferences annually including the North American Saxophone Alliance, Music Teachers National Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and the South Carolina Music Educators Association. The South Carolina Band Directors Association honored him as the 2016 Jazz Educator of the Year. An active orchestral musician, Patterson has appeared multiple times with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. Patterson has been a guest artist at the Charlotte Jazz Festival, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Jazz Festival, the Dizzy Gillespie Jazz Festival, the Simpson College Jazz Festival, and the Redbud Jazz Festival at Northern Oklahoma College. Patterson holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance from Texas Tech University, a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Central Oklahoma, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Northeastern State University, He has previously served on the faculty at Lubbock Christian University and Texas Tech University. He resides in Tega Cay, South Carolina with his wife, Joy, and their daughter, Evelyn.
Randy Smith, Vendor Coordinator
Randall (Randy) A. Smith is Professor Emeritus of Saxophone at Truman State University, a position he held for thirty years (1987-2017). Dr. Smith began his teaching career at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, MO, in 1983. A graduate of Jackson High School, Jackson, MO, he completed undergraduate music degrees at Southeast Missouri State University and graduate degrees at Indiana University—Bloomington where he studied with Eugene Rousseau and visiting professors, Larry Teal and Ken Fisher. Dr. Smith is a champion of new music and has commissioned nine works for soprano, alto, and baritone saxophones. Most recently, he commissioned Eric Ewazen to compose Fantasia for Alto Saxophone and Band, which is available with piano accompaniment from Theodore Presser. Another popular work, Sonata No. 1 (1983) for Alto Saxophone and Piano, was composed for Dr. Smith’s thirtieth birthday by his father, Dr. Charles W. Smith, and is available from Southern Music. Dr. Smith has performed in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Europe (Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Ukraine) and is available for performances and clinics. He can be contacted at rsmith@truman.edu.
Xin Gao, Featured Artist Coordinator
Xin Gao, hails from Chengdu, China, currently serves as assistant professor of saxophone and music theory at Truman State University. Prior to this, He taught at East Tennessee State University, Furman University and Georgia State University. Some of his accomplishments include national and international recognition at major world competitions, including first place at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Young Artist Competition in 2011, finalist at the International Saxophone Symposium and Competition (ISSAC) in 2014, and twice semi-finalist at the International Jean-Marie Londeix Saxophone Competition in 2008 and 2014. With the chamber group QuadrAtomic Saxophone quartet, he reached the finals of both the Fischoff and Coleman competitions, and the group was awarded the Coleman-Saunderson Prize.
He has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals across the North America as well as Asia. He has toured China as a performer and also given performances and master classes throughout U.S. He has performed concertos with the UNCG Orchestra, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Orchestra, University of Illinois - Chicago Wind Ensemble, Truman State University Wind Symphony and the Duquesne Orchestra in the U.S. and the Sichuan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in China. He also frequently performs lecture recitals at national and international conferences, such as the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) and the Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium. He was one of the featured guest artists at 2019 Lanzhou International Sax and Clarinet Art Festival. As a chamber musician, his experience with the Sirocco Reed Quintet, New Century Saxophone Quartet, QuadATOMIC Saxophone Quartet, and Road of Creativity (ROC) ensemble have all played major roles in forming his musical identity.
Furthermore, Gao is passionate about new music and has commissioned new pieces from world-renowned composers such as Sherwood Shaffer, Marc Mellits, David Maslanka and Leilei Tian, and he has collaborated directly with young composers such as Wei Dai in his efforts to bring Chinese music to a wider audience.
Gao has received D.M.A. from UNCG, MM and BM from Duquesne University. He studied with Steve Stusek, Connie Frigo, James Houlik, Kelly Burke, Anthony Taylor, Zhenglong Xiang and Yusheng Li.
He has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals across the North America as well as Asia. He has toured China as a performer and also given performances and master classes throughout U.S. He has performed concertos with the UNCG Orchestra, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Orchestra, University of Illinois - Chicago Wind Ensemble, Truman State University Wind Symphony and the Duquesne Orchestra in the U.S. and the Sichuan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in China. He also frequently performs lecture recitals at national and international conferences, such as the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) and the Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium. He was one of the featured guest artists at 2019 Lanzhou International Sax and Clarinet Art Festival. As a chamber musician, his experience with the Sirocco Reed Quintet, New Century Saxophone Quartet, QuadATOMIC Saxophone Quartet, and Road of Creativity (ROC) ensemble have all played major roles in forming his musical identity.
Furthermore, Gao is passionate about new music and has commissioned new pieces from world-renowned composers such as Sherwood Shaffer, Marc Mellits, David Maslanka and Leilei Tian, and he has collaborated directly with young composers such as Wei Dai in his efforts to bring Chinese music to a wider audience.
Gao has received D.M.A. from UNCG, MM and BM from Duquesne University. He studied with Steve Stusek, Connie Frigo, James Houlik, Kelly Burke, Anthony Taylor, Zhenglong Xiang and Yusheng Li.