“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)

“Friday evening, Jennifer Higdon’s lyrical Soprano Sax Concerto displayed the classical capabilities of the instrument and the musical talents of soloist Timothy McAllister. The music concentrates on song-like lines and emotional sensitivity rather than virtuosic fireworks, though McAllister’s gleaming tone and supple runs enhanced this fine work.”

Phyllis Rosenblum The Santa Cruz Sentinel

“In Jennifer Higdon’s 2007 Soprano Saxophone Concerto, Tim McAllister was equally amazing. He produced a clearly focused sound in all registers — and some were very extreme…Higdon’s formal organization also is quite free, but her single-movement concept kept musical ideas fairly compact. McAllister’s artistry helped.”

Gregory Barnes The State, Columbia, South Carolina

“The LA Philharmonic played beautifully throughout the performance (indeed, through the entire evening), with notable solo work from Timothy McAllister on saxophone…”

Robert D. Thomas Music Critic, Pasadena Star-News

“a mature, polished performer…whose dynamic and color contrasts enhance his ability to communicate - Bravo!”

Leone Buyse Former Associate Principal Flute, Boston Symphony Orchestra

“Dense, brash and exuberant, these two stellar works by John Adams are love letters to the confidence of the 1950s and a time when some of the greatest feats of virtuosity were often performed in smoky jazz clubs. David Robertson leads an incisive performance; the saxophonist Timothy McAllister sizzles”

Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim The New York Times (June 2014)

“a highly engaging venture into the spirit of the riff, so to speak, without ever explicitly acknowledging the roots of that spirit in Bird’s solos…This recording is particularly satisfying, not only for the facility with which McAllister jumps through all of the hoops that Adams has created but also for the informed rhetorical context that Robertson establishes as conductor.”

Stephen Smoliar Stephen Smoliar, The Examiner (5/8/14)

Steven Mackey

A new concerto for saxophone and orchestra by Steven Mackey is coming for the 25/26 Season! Anemology (Concerto for Saxophone) is made possible by a gift from the Gail Straith Commissioning Fund in conjunction with the Monterey Symphony (lead), the Utah Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony. Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Anemology (2025)
I. Spindrift (alto saxophone)
II. Soughing (soprano saxophone)
III. Aeolian Howl (alto saxophone)
Duration: 22 minutes

Booking Information

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