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

2 electroacoustical music. 1 Bryant has won the National Band Association William D. Revelli composition contest on three occasions: Radiant Joy in 2007, Suite Dreams in 2008 and Ecstatic Waters in 2010. 2 The Concerto was awarded the American Bandmasters Association Sousa / Ostwald Award in 2014, recognizing its excellence. 3 It has received performances in the United States and Europe, including a performance at the 2015 World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, France and the 2017 International Saxophone Symposium, hosted by the United Stated Navy Band. 4 It is a significant addition to the repertoire of both the saxophone and wind ensemble. More uniquely, this work was written not just for an instrument or even for a specific performer, but with one. 5 With the formal recognition of the excellence of this work, as well as the unique conception of it, I felt it was important to capture the process of the creation of this concerto while it was still relatively fresh in the minds of those who helped bring this piece to life. Dr. Jamie Nix wrote the first academic paper on Bryant, discussing his work, Ecstatic Waters. In addition to an analysis and discussion of the work itself, Dr. Nix provided a detailed biography on Bryant through an extensive interview (the first available for 1 Steven Bryant, “Concerto for Alto Saxophone,” accessed April 8, 2018. https://www.stevenbryant.com/biography. 2 National Band Association, “William D. Revelli Composition Contest,” Accessed April 8, 2018. https://nationalbandassociation.org/composition-contests/ 3 Steven Bryant, Concerto for Alto Saxophone . (Durham, NC: Gorilla Salad Publications, 2014), inside cover. 4 Howard Gourwitz and Joe Lulloff, interview by author, Cincinnati, OH, March 11, 2018. 5 Steven Bryant, interview by author, phone interview, March 8, 2018.