JUDITH SAXTON

May 30-June 3, 2017Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA

Judith Saxton enjoys a multi-faceted career as an international soloist, chamber and orchestral musician and educator and has been lauded as a “virtuoso player and superb soloist”. As a fully Certified Alexander Technique Teacher (ATI), Judith has been actively incorporating those principles into her “Healthy Playing Habits” and “Breathing, Breaks and Basics for Mindful Music Making” presentations for universities and festivals and populations of varying ages across the nation and the world including ITG, Eastern Music Festival, Roads Scholars, Trumpet Festival of the SE, and International Women’s Brass Conference. Observation, awareness and ease of movement are integral to her trumpet playing and teaching; she aims to embody these precepts in all her interactions.

As a recitalist, Ms. Saxton has performed in the UK, China, Brasil, and concertizes nationally with Timothy Olsen, organ, and Allison Gagnon, piano with whom she recorded her acclaimed solo CD Contest and Concert Pieces for Trumpet – issued worldwide by the International Trumpet Guild. As principal, she leads the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, and is on Eastern Music Festival (EMF) faculty with whom she records annually under Gerard Schwarz’s leadership. She performs regularly with the North Carolina, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Roanoke symphonies and an array of chamber organizations on the eastern seaboard. She regularly offers master classes at conservatories, festivals and conferences around the globe as a Conn-Selmer clinician. Recently she was guest faculty for the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and Central Conservatory in Beijing; she offered master classes to Shanghai Conservatory and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil students. A keen advocate of new music, she continues to ardently promote, co-commission and premiere new works around the world; she has soloed with a variety of orchestras and bands in the US and abroad.

Previously Ms. Saxton was guest principal for the St. Louis Symphony, and an extra for Milwaukee, Grant Park, Sydney (Australia) and Harrisburg Symphonies. She was principal with the New York Women’s Ensemble and VA’s Blue Ridge Music Festival and Artist Faculty for Lieksa Brass Week, Finland. She served 10 years at University of North Carolina School of the Arts as Trumpet Artist/Faculty and Brass/Percussion Chair. Additionally, she was tenured Associate Professor at Wichita State University. She taught previously at Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Illinois Wesleyan and Northeastern Illinois Universities.

For several seasons, Judith was Principal and Soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Illinois, South Bend, Illinois Chamber, Wichita and Key West/South Florida Symphonies. She was also an extra and substitute with the Chicago Symphony and brass quintet. She has performed a variety of shows, commercials, recording sessions, big bands and combos. Chamber credits include Southeast Chamber Brass, Wichita Brass Quintet, Chicago Chamber Musicians, Sierra Brass (Japan tours), Musica Harmonica (Brazil tour), Tromba Mundi, Millar and Monarch Brass ensembles. Recently, she has written and recorded for Vincent Cichowicz Long Tone Studies and Flow Studies Volumes 1 and 2. She was soloist and principal solo cornet for NC Brass Band’s 2014 debut CD First in Flight and their 2016 Christmas Wrapped in Brass CD. Other recordings include labels Crystal, Koss, Proto, Novitas, MSR Classics and Moravian Music Foundation.

Ms. Saxton holds board memberships with EMF, and served several terms for ITG, National Trumpet Competition, International Women’s Brass Conference and Fulbright National Screening Committee. A graduate of Mansfield (PA) and Northwestern Universities, Saxton’s most influential teachers were Vincent Cichowicz, Arnold Jacobs, William Scarlett, Susan Slaughter and Michael Galloway.

Her students can be found performing and teaching around the globe. More can be learned about Ms. Saxton’s performing and teaching at JudithSaxton.com

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