“…breathtaking and spectacular…a revolution displayed in the hands of an artist…”
“City Noir is about process, not stasis…there was a prominent part for saxophone (played by the steady Timothy McAllister)…”
“Agile and sometimes contorted, McAllister relentlessly delivered the goods, riding the top of Adams’ melded composite of sound…the best moments were found in McAllister’s melodies shifting seamlessly as they morphed through the ensemble…”
“brilliant solos were in abundance, especially by Timothy McAllister…”
“John Adams said he wouldn’t wish [that alto saxophone solo] on anyone, but Timothy McAllister dispatching it with wonderful grace on this world premiere evening.”
“The star of the show was the saxophonist Timothy McAllister, all pep and bounce and loose-limbed lyricism in John Adams’s 2013 Saxophone Concerto. It reads like a love letter to the giants of be-bop and swing, with orchestration as plush as a velvet banquette, honeyed harmonies from a choir of flutes and clarinets, and mirror-ball figures for celesta. At ease and alert, McAllister dazzled and crooned…an American dream of neon signage and slick city streets.”
“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.”
A new concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra coming 2026-2027 Season! Commissioning groups include the Gail Straith Fund/University of Michigan, Albany Symphony, Auburn Symphony Orchestra (WA), and the Shreveport Symphony. Contact Martha Woods (info below).
Photo: Aaron Jay Young