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The International Saxophone Course 2010

Take your playing and performance to a higher level...meet and work with like-minded people...have a lot of fun...all in the most beautiful surroundings.

The Advanced Course

is led by Rob Buckland and is designed for grade 7+ players. The course will cover techniques, solo repertoire and performance, quartets (pre-formed and new groups formed on the course), working through demanding repertoire designed to push your playing to another level. During the week you will play in two solo master-classes, several quartet classes, a large saxophone orchestra (joined by the players from the intermediate course for some sessions). This course is particularly suited to prospective college students, and advanced players who can read well and play at a high level.

Alongside the classical side of the course programme, Dave O'Higgins, international jazz saxophonist and educator, will lead a concurrent three day course of jazz workshops, from basic jazz language and techniques to more advanced improvising and jazz theory workshops.

The flexible timetable also allows you the opportunity to tailor the course to suit your own particular needs.

The Intermediate Course

will be led by Fiona Asbury and is designed for beginners and students up to grade 6 standard. Fiona is a former student of Rob so her teaching will perfectly compliment the techniques being developed on the advanced course, providing a perfect starting point for saxophonists to integrate with the players from the advanced course, without the pressure of having to keep up with the demanding work of the experienced players. All course participants will come together for playing sessions each day in the massed saxophone group, and will also take part in workshops with Dave O'Higgins.

Topics covered in both courses include techniques such as basic posture and breathing, rhythm, advanced techniques such as harmonics and multiphonics, advice on what and how to practice, recording sessions where you can analyse and improve your performance, interpretation, master-classes with piano accompaniment, performing skills, question and answer sessions...the list is huge! As well as performing with various ensembles, you can experience jazz funk and beyond with Andy Scott's charts...there is something for everyone.

Wednesday night is Jazz Night, with our sister flute course joining us in the bar for a performance by Rob, Dave, Fiona and rhythm section. Drinks and dancing till late!

Cost:
Full week including accommodation and meals: £655.00
Part week visitors are welcome to attend. The charge is £120.00 per day including overnight accommodation and meals.

The advanced and intermediate course are the same price.

Join us for an amazing week of music making and book now!

Final details including the timetable will be confirmed after receipt of your application.

Any questions? please contact us.

About the Tutors:

Rob Buckland is internationally acclaimed as one of the most distinctive and versatile Saxophonists of his generation. Appearing as concerto and recital soloist, with his Equivox Trio, and with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, Rob performs throughout the UK, Europe and Japan.

He has commissioned and recorded music from many of today’s leading composers, featuring on his own solo CD (Towards the Light 1998), with the Equivox Trio (The Time is Now 2006), 8 CDs with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet. He regularly performs and records with such diverse ensembles such as the Michael Nyman Band, Halle Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, Opera North and Northern Sinfonia, and recently performed on TV as part of the band for ITV’s “Soapstar Superstar”, and as part of the stellar Royal Variety Performance Orchestra (2007 and 2009) backing artists such as Jon Bon Jovi, Kiri Te Kanawa, Chaka Khan, Lulu & Anastacia, Michael Buble, Bette Midler and the casts of Sister Act and Hairspray. Uniquely in demand as both classical soloist and jazz artist, Rob also regularly works with Sax Assault, the John Wilson Orchestra, Keith Nichol’s various early jazz projects, and can regularly be heard performing on Film and TV soundtracks. In recent years, Rob has been heard performing in concert with artists as diverse as Wayne Shorter, Ringo Starr, and the Wombats, and was recently featured saxophone soloist with Elvis Costello’s new
orchestral project.

Rob has spent a significant proportion of his time over the last 25 years performing with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, a world class ensemble that is widely acknowledged as one of the UK's finest contemporary chamber ensembles. As a composer, Rob writes and arranges for both concert performance and film, tv and media, and has written a highly successful and popular ongoing series of original compositions for young players (solos, duets, quartets and pieces for Saxophone and Piano), many of which are now part of the Associated Board, Trinity and Guildhall syllabuses (published by astute-music.com).

Alongside his busy performing schedule, Rob is Professor of Saxophone at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he was recently awarded Fellowship of the RNCM (2008), in recognition of his work with the RNCM saxophone Department, the saxophone in general, and pioneering new music performance. He is co-Artistic Director (with Andy Scott) of the RNCM Saxophone Day, now the UK’s largest annual saxophone event. Rob is a Henri Selmer Paris artist, and endorsee for Vandoren Reeds.

Dave O'Higgins is twice winner of Best Tenor Sax, British Jazz Awards and currently working with the Ronnie Scotts Allstars and the BBC Big Band. He has worked extensively with Itchy Fingers, Martin Taylor, Jim Mullen, Joe Locke, Jamie Cullum, Joey Calderazzo, Kyle Eastwood, John Dankworth & Cleo Laine, Matthew Herbert, Ray Charles and Jimmy Smith to name a few.

His new CD (9th as leader), "In The Zone" on Jazzizit Records, is a mixture of standards and originals with reference to the great saxophonists: Parker, Rollins, Gordon, Shorter, Henderson & Coltrane.

Dave has collaborated with the Jazzcotech Dancers and co-produced 2 CDs with their director, Perry Louis, for the London jazz dance scene: Fast Foot Shuffle (2002) and Push (2004). Several of these tracks have become favourites of djs around the world & have been licensed for release on many compilations.

Fiona Asbury In 2000, Fiona was awarded a scholarship by the Associated Board (ABRSM) to study saxophone at the RNCM, where she studied with Rob Buckland. Whilst a student at the College, she was awarded the RNCM’s highest performance award, the Professional Performance Diploma, (PPRNCM). She has since graduated with a first class honours degree. During Fiona’s four years at the RNCM, she appeared in master classes with John Harle, Ken Radnofsky and Phil Woods.

In April 2006, Fiona was announced winner of the First London Saxophone Competition, adjudicated by John Harle and the Paragon Saxophone Quartet. As a result she performed Michael Nyman’s Shaping The Curve at the London Saxophone Festival Gala Concert in October, alongside Jean-Yves Formeau and the Paragon Saxophone Quartet. In January 2007 Fiona performed a solo recital at the Purcell Room in London, as a winner of the Park Lane Group Young Artists Competition. Fiona is also Professor of Saxophone at Liverpool Hope University. She has always been fascinated by the versatility of the saxophone, as it is equally suited to both jazz and contemporary classical music. However, she is keen to promote the saxophone as a respected solo instrument and welcomes new compositions for the instrument.