“City Noir is about process, not stasis…there was a prominent part for saxophone (played by the steady Timothy McAllister)…”
[Review: “Adams’ Concerto Saxophone Concerto gets astonishing performance”]
“John Adams’ Saxophone Concerto demonstrated that the instrument most often associated with jazz, blues and soul is perfectly capable of taking center stage on an orchestral program. Composed in 2013 for saxophonist Timothy McAllister, who premiered it last year with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and who served as Saturday’s excellent soloist, the 30-minute piece was exhilarating…the solo writing is...
“Certainly this is a virtuosic piece, designed to test the limits of the soloist for whom it was written, Tim McAllister, who showed his technical chops and his expressive musicianship with a piece that had his instrument now noodling thoughtfully, now dashing in crazy, frenetic runs up and down the scale…”
“The [Adams] concerto did not disappoint, with the orchestra joined on stage by American saxophonist Tim McAllister, whose jazz-style meanderings splendidly showcased the instrument’s power and agility in the first movement. The second and final movement saw an explosion of energy…McAllister remained supremely in control of the work’s demanding semiquaver passages; octave leaps were frequent and jarring”
“Chambers’ Come Down Heavy! …a tour de force that tested the upper sonic limits in wild and woolly playing by Timothy McAllister on alto sax…”
“fantastic virtuosity and lyric beauty”
“★★★★★ out of five–Performance, ★★★★★ out of five–Recording (John Adams City Noir; Saxophone Concerto; Nonesuch/St. Louis Symphony)”
A new concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra coming for 2026-2027 by renowned UK composer, Errollyn Wallen! More details and information soon! If you would like information on the consortium, contact Martha Woods (info below).