Timothy McAllister a choisi d'interpréter:

Timothy McAllister has chosen to perform:

Gregory Wanamaker Sonata deus sax machina *

avec la participation de:

with the participation of:

Kevin Class, piano

* Création / World premiere

McAllister has made several critically acclaimed, internationally released recordings on the Einstein, Equilibrium, Albany, Naxos, and Centaur labels, as well as having recorded for Dutch National Radio, G.I.A. Publications and Arizona University Recordings. An active proponent of new music, he has premiered/commissioned over thirty works for saxophone by award-winning composers including Gunther Schuller and John Harbison, and is co-founder of the contemporary chamber ensemble, QUORUM, and the saxophone/piano team, Duo Nuova. He has also appeared in major musical centers, including Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City, with chamber groups such as the acclaimed PRISM Quartet, QUORUM, Resounding Winds, the Detroit Chamber Winds and the Michigan Saxophone Quartet featuring Donald Sinta. In addition, he has been featured at meetings of the World Saxophone Congress, the North American Saxophone Alliance, the 9th International Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival, the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and the New England Saxophone Symposium.

Since 1997, McAllister has served as Assistant Professor of Saxophone for The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam, and has spent his summers as artist-teacher for the Hot Springs Music Festival (AR) and the Interlochen Arts Camp All-State Program.

Kevin Class served this past year as an International Artist Fellow for the Belgian State Government pursuing studies at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. Born in Belgium, Class began studying the violin at the age of three. At age seven, he moved to the piano and composition with Romeo Fracalanza. Subsequent teachers have included Katherine Collier, Charles Fisher, Gwen Beamish, Jeffrey Gilliam and Ralph Votapek. He has received additional instruction from Menaheim Pressler, Karl-Heinz Kammerling, Tamas Vasary, Eugene Istomin, Jan Wijn, Jan Marisse Huizing and Murray Perahia.

"A pianist of remarkable abilities, he will shake the world." This prophetic statement, by European Artist Review, to Class' successes as a soloist throughout North America and Europe. In addition to having more than a dozen recordings to his credit, performances in such venues as New York's Carnegie Hall and Amsterdam's Concertgebonw have won him a devoted following and enthusiastic critical acclaim. Laurels such as "Mr. Class produced a lyric beauty rare in performances of Liszt." (The Observer, Ontario); and "A powerful presence on the stage, this young pianist is both terrifying and exhilerating to behold," (The Independent, Hamburg) are typical of reactions to his playing. Murray Perahia has written that Mr. Class "serves a deeply musical sensibility. He brought intelligence and poetic feeling to his interpretation."

A tremedously versatile musician, Mr. Class' vast repertoire not only embraces the complete piano sonatas of Mozart and Schubert but extends to the works of Schoenberg, Ligeti, Elliot Carter and Lutoslawski. He has also been responsible for a number of world-premiere performances and recordings. He can heard on the Centaur, CRS, MMO, and Jackal record labels.

The ongoing collaboration between saxophonist Timothy McAllister and pianist Kevin Class has led to the performances of many 20th century works for saxophone and piano. Committed to contemporary music, Duo Nuova has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, highlighting the music of today's composers. Highlights of previous seasons include residencies/appearances in Carnegie Hall's Weill Chamber Series, the Crane Festival of NEWMUSIC, Tuesday Musicale of Detroit, the University of Illinois, West Virginia University, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Grosse Point Chamber Music Series, the University of Michigan, the Rotterdam (Holland) Conservatory, the Festival Ensemblage (Holland), among many other chamber series and festivals.

Fanfare Magazine hailed Duo Nuova's recording, "Visions", found on the Centaur Records label, as "one to be admired by saxophonists everywhere and yet deserves a still wider audience... provocative and thought provoking." Also, American Record Guide described the disc as "...provocative and impressive... the musicianship of Duo Nuova is impeccable." The duo has also recorded for Dutch National Radio in a live performance of Hans Kox's Sonata, having been semi-finalists in the Gaudeamus International Interpreter's Competition The Netherlands. Notable commissions/premieres include sonatas by Gunther Schuller and Gregory Wanamaker.

Each of the three movements reflects a specific abstract type of machine or machine-like quality. The first may be likened to some sort of perpetual motion motor; the second to the hum of a refrigerator or perhaps fluorescent lights; the third to the starting up, running, and shutting down of an item producing machine.

The work is cyclic, however; similar motives and themes appear in all movements.

Sonata deus sax machinas was commissioned by Timothy McAllister for Duo Nuova.