Student Portraits

Sumner Truax, LU'13

Sumner Truax is the alto saxophonist of the Lux Quartet. From Chicago, Illinois, Sumner is an accomplished performer in both classical and jazz idioms. He recently completed his Bachelor of Music degree in saxophone performance and instrumental/general music education at Lawrence and enrolled in the graduate program in saxophone at the Eastman School of Music. A two-time winner of Wisconsin Public Radio’s Neale-Silva Young Artist’s Competition, Sumner has performed Jacob TV’s "Buku" and Paule Maurice’s "Tableaux De Provence" live on WPR. Sumner has performed in masterclasses by Doug O’Connor and Susan Fancher and has worked closely with award-winning French composer Christian Lauba. In the spring of 2012, Sumner premiered “Bebop” for alto saxophone, a work that Christian Lauba composed for Sumner, at Lawrence and at the Christian Lauba Seminar in Houston, Texas. In the jazz idiom, he has had the privilege of performing with musicians such as Bobby McFerrin, Brian Lynch, John Clayton, and Conrad Herwig. Video and audio files of Sumner’s performances can be found at www.sumnertruax.com.

Watch: Sumner Truax and Jenny Larsen perform Baljinder Sekhon's "Gradient" for alto saxophone and prepared piano

Joe Connor, LU'16

Joe Connor is a junior studying in the Saxophone Performance and Instrumental Music Education programs. Joe frequently performs with marimbist Greg Riss, and as winners of the 2013 Neale-Silva Young Artist's competition at Wisconsin Public Radio, the duo performed on a recital broadcast live on WPR in April, 2013. Joe was awarded First Prize in the 2012 Miroslav Pansky Memorial Concerto Competition of the Green Bay Civic Symphony and Second Prize in the 2011-12 Lakeshore Wind Ensemble’s Young Artist Competition, and he performed as concerto soloist with both of these ensembles. Most recently, Joe studied at the European University for Saxophone in Gap, France with Claude Delangle, Arno Bornkamp, and Vincent David. In the summer of 2012, Joe studied at the International Saxophone Masterclass in Laubach, Germany and at the Eastman Summer Saxophone Institute in Rochester, New York.

To hear Joe Connor's solo and chamber music performances, visit his Soundcloud page at:

https://soundcloud.com/joseph-r-connor

Will Obst, LU'13

Will Obst is the baritone saxophonist of the Lux Quartet. Besides performing regularly with Lux, Will is a dedicated collaborator with composers in chamber music settings, premiering new works for saxophone and other instruments. Will recently completed a Bachelor of Music degree in instrumental/general music education at Lawrence University and began his teaching career as instructor of instrumental music at St. Joseph Middle School in Appleton, Wisconsin. Apart from his performance activity as a solo and chamber musician, Will has a passion for conducting. In his senior year, he led the Lawrence University Symphonic Band in a performance of Clifton Williams’ Symphonic Dance No. 3 (Fiesta). Will has studied conducting with David Becker and Andrew Mast for the past two years, and has taken conducting lessons with Frank Ticheli, Craig Kirchhoff, and Jerry Luckhardt. In his spare time, Will enjoys composing and performing microtonal music, experimenting with overtone singing, and playing didjeridu.

Watch: Will Obst performs Barry Cockcroft’s "Rock Me!" for solo alto saxophone

Watch: Will Obst conducts the Lawrence University Symphonic Band in a performance of Clifton Williams’ "Symphonic Dance No. 3" (Fiesta)

LUX Quartet

David Davis (soprano saxophone), Sumner Truax (alto saxophone), Phil Dobernig (tenor saxophone) and Will Obst (baritone saxophone) are winners of the the 2011 Neale-Silva Young Artist Competition of Wisconsin Public Radio, the 2011 Downbeat Magazine Award for College-Level Classical Ensemble, and the 2010-11 Lawrence Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Learn more about the Lux Quartet at www.luxquartet.com.

Watch: Lawrence University Saxophone Quartet performs the first movement of Philip Glass’ "Concerto" for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra

Watch: Lawrence University Saxophone Quartet performs five short pieces

Phil Dobernig, LU'14

Phillip Dobernig is a senior Saxophone Performance and Music Education major at Lawrence. As a soloist, Phillip was a winner of the Neale-Silva Young Artist’s Competition, the 2011 Milwaukee Civic Music Association’s Collegiate Music Competition, and the Milwaukee Civic Music Association’s John David Anello-Albert Silverman Scholarship competition. He plays tenor saxophone in the Lux Saxophone Quartet and with them has won the 2011 Neale-Silva Young Artist Competition of Wisconsin Public Radio, the 2011 Downbeat Magazine Award for College-Level Classical Ensemble, and the 2010-11 Lawrence Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Phillip is also a member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, Gamma Zeta chapter at Lawrence University.

Listen: Phillip Dobernig and Nick Towns perform Ida Gotkovsky’s "Brillance" for alto saxophone and piano

Kate Johnson, LU'13

Kate Johnson is a senior in the Instrumental and General Music Education Program. In the Spring Term of 2012, Kate studied at Lawrence’s London Centre and took jazz improvisation lessons with Martin Hathaway at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She also traveled to Paris to work with composer Lucie Robert on two of Madame Robert’s works for saxophone. This photo shows Kate in the music studio of Lucie Robert, with the composer at the piano.

Greg Siegrist, LU'13

Greg Siegrist is a senior in the Instrumental and General Music Education Program and performs as tenor saxophonist in Lawrence’s jazz ensembles. In the 2011-12 academic year, Greg was an intern at Oshkosh West High School, where he led sectionals for the band and the jazz ensemble, rehearsed the woodwind ensemble, and coached small groups preparing for solo and ensemble festival performances. In this photo, Greg is teaching about the saxophone and dynamics to the kindergarten class at Jefferson Elementary School in Appleton as part of his practicum in general music.