Saxophonist Doug O’Connor is passionate about sharing music that challenges audiences to explore, connect, and grow. His performances push the athletic limits of the saxophone and feature music from all eras and in many styles, including classical, contemporary, jazz, and electronic music. He strives to champion new works, present adventurous and innovative chamber music, perform with an improvisatory command of music from Bach to Coltrane, and connect music with technology in live performance. In 2023, Doug O’Connor will join the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory as Assistant Professor of Saxophone, as well as the staff of the Washington Arts Ensemble, a D.C. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting chamber music to the local community. O’Connor honed his artistic mission while performing on the Astral Artists roster from 2003 to 2013 and completing his training at the Eastman School of Music, where he earned his MM and DMA degrees in 2008 and 2012, and eventually went on to serve as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Saxophone in the fall of 2017. In addition, he served as Associate Lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, as a saxophonist with the United States Naval Academy Band, and since 2016 as a saxophonist with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” He is proud to be a co-founder of the Global Premiere Consortium Commissioning Project, an online platform for instigating the composition, dissemination, and performance of new music worldwide, and the alto saxophonist with the acclaimed chamber ensemble Project Fusion Saxophone Quartet.
Read More