“Timothy McAllister is one of the best soprano players I have ever heard. The way he performs my Garden of Love, with such ease, even in the high registers, is simply stunning: a breathtaking polished tone, combined with brilliant singing vibrato, and this typical American swing, what more could a composer want…Chapeau!”

Jacob ter Veldhuis Celebrated Dutch Avant-Pop composer

“(John) Adams goes for more than stylizations with [City Noir’s] wily jazz spine. Keeping a sweaty, smoky after-hours jam percolating were Timothy McAllister’s volcanic sax…”

Lewis Whittington American Record Guide (Sept/Oct 2010)

“Adams has created a compelling demonstration of the instrument’s unique orchestral potential. McAllister was superb, his technical command of the score impeccable, yet with a tone of molten amber, his saxophone bubbling like a hookah pipe with intoxication, his playing gave the piece its originality”

Matthew Wright The Arts Desk Journal (UK) (9/5/14)

“…McAllister performed solos crucial to the work’s flavor with brashness that never overpowered a beautifully rounded tone.”

Michael Rodman The Ann Arbor News

“The [Cabrillo Festival Opening] concert’s highlight concluded its first half: Jennifer Higdon’s Soprano Sax Concerto…and it was superbly realized by soloist Timothy McAllister…This work is a significant testament to beauty.”

Jeff Dunn San Francisco Classical Voice

“Adams wrote the piece in 2013 for Tim McAllister who Adams called ‘the best sax player in the world.’ From the very beginning the saxophone unleashed a barrage of notes. A few pauses gave everyone a chance to breathe but the orchestra often took up the same flurry of notes so only McAllister got a chance to catch his breath…there is no doubt that the main point of the piece was virtuosity. In spite of all the pyrotechnics, McAllister’s tone quality was beautiful with a well-modulated...

Don Adkins Performing Arts Monterey Bay (Aug. 2014)

“Adams wanted a sax sound associated with jazz performance…McAllister’s powerful performance does have a more ‘American’ sound, while the St. Louis Symphony achieves the intended fusion of bebop into its veins while maintaining a sense of clarity and conciseness throughout…vital, engaging performances by all involved”

Alexandra Gardner NewMusicBox (July 8, 2014)

James Lee III

A new concerto dedicated to Timothy McAllister for alto saxophone and orchestra from James Lee III is coming for the 25/26 season! ABIDING LEGACY pays tribute to the African-American astronaut/saxophonist Ron McNair and commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Challenger tragedy in 2026. McAllister, a Houston Bay Area native and son of NASA-affiliated employees, was a beginning saxophonist at the time of the space shuttle disaster which left him forever inspired by McNair’s life and those of his peers who the world lost that fateful day.

The 24-minute work for full symphony orchestra is fully commissioned through a gift from the Gail Straith Fund at the University of Michigan and is available for first performances and recording. Contact Martha Woods (info below).

Abiding Legacy: Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (2025) - 24’
I. Resilience
II. Remembered among the stars…
III. Resolute Dream
(Pub. Subito Music Publishing, ASCAP)

Booking Information

Martha Woods
President
Jonathan Wentworth Associates Ltd.
6118 40th Avenue
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782-3012