Biography

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Praised for his “seamless technique” and “sumptuous lyricism” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), saxophonist Doug O’Connor has performed across Asia, Europe, and the U.S., including appearances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. He holds DMA and MM degrees from the Eastman School of Music, and a BM in Saxophone Performance from the University of Maryland. O’Connor recently served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music, as Associate Lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, as saxophonist with the United States Naval Academy Band, and is currently employed as ceremonial saxophonist with the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.”

Dr. O’Connor recently performed as a concerto soloist at the 2014 and 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conferences, at the World Saxophone Congress XV in Bangkok, where he gave the world-première performance of Christian Lauba’s 15th etude, Worksong, and has been featured with the National Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, Musica Nova, the Eastman and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Jazz Ensembles, as well as various college percussion ensembles. He was the 2nd Prize winner of the 2008 International Jean-Marie Londeix Saxophone Competition in Bangkok. He has won top prizes in many other solo competitions, including the NASA Classical Solo Competition, the MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition, the 2004 National Symphony Orchestra Young Soloists Competition, and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra’s Mary Graham Lasley competition. Finally, he was a winner of Astral Artists’ 2003 National Auditions and was a finalist for the Concert Artists Guild competition in 2009.

With a passion for chamber music, Dr. O’Connor was a founding member of the Red Line Saxophone Quartet. While playing soprano saxophone in Red Line, the group won grand prizes at the Chesapeake, Coleman, NASA, and MTNA chamber music competitions, as well as gold medals at the Fischoff and Plowman chamber competitions. Red Line premiered five new works for sax quartet and electronics on MATA’s Interval Series in NYC and released a CD on iTunes, “Back Burner.” As a jazz artist, Dr. O’Connor freelances throughout the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area and recently toured with the Airmen of Note at the Lionel Hampton and Missouri State Jazz festivals on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet.

Dr. O’Connor is a co-founder of the Global Premiere Consortium Commissioning Project, an online platform for instigating the composition, dissemination, and performance of new music worldwide.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]