A Conductor’s and Performer’s Guide to Steven Bryant’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone - Chester Jenkins

12 Meanwhile, Sedatole discussed with Lulloff the possibility of having a concerto written for him and the Michigan State University Wind Symphony. Lulloff offered the names of various composers who he thought might be good to look into, including Bryant. 18 It was a performance of Bryant’s Concerto for Wind Ensemble that helped solidify in Lulloff’s mind that he wanted to pursue a concerto from Bryant. He recounted, “And I think that’s when I put two and two together. Yeah…yeah…that’s the one. That’s the one. That’s the way he treats saxophones. That’s the way I hear the piece. My saxophone students were all over it.” 19 The next step in the process occurred at the American Bandmasters Association conference in 2012, when Lulloff was performing John Mackey’s Soprano Saxophone Concerto with the Michigan State University Wind Symphony. Bryant was in attendance since they were ending the concert with the fifth movement of Bryant’s Concerto for Wind Ensemble . 20 It was Lulloff’s performance of the Mackey concerto that grabbed the attention of Bryant. He stated about the performance, “…the way Joe could play so extraordinarily softly, sitting in that hall and filling this really, really big hall with this sound, and yet it be just on the threshold of hearing it. Something about that moment, I thought, Oh there is potential here for something I really want to make.” 21 18 Howard Gourwitz and Joe Lulloff, interview by author, Cincinnati, OH, March 11, 2018. 19 Ibid. 20 Kevin Sedatole, interview by author, phone interview, March 17, 2018 21 Steven Bryant, interview by author, phone interview, March 8, 2018.