Overview

Put simply, we offer access to many of the world’s finest saxophone performers and educators through an online series of workshops, private lessons, competitions, social activities, trivia contests, and more.

Our focus is on your artistic development, and we understand that includes much more than saxophone-specific instruction. Of course, we offer that, too, but we also offer transcription master classes with leading instrumentalists; coachings on stage-presence led by award-winning opera singers; seminars on performance anxiety, grant writing, touring and project development; saxophone maintenance and repair clinics; composer interviews; professional chamber ensembles sharing their paths to success; and so much more.

We offer the opportunity to engage with leading professionals from all over the world, and to join an international community of like-minded saxophonists pursuing a higher level of artistry.

Presentations

Our presentations are led by elite musicians from around the globe. Our programming is constantly evolving and includes interviews, lectures, group instructionals, interactive classes on altissimo, double-tonguing, free improvisation, career development, composer collaborations, and so much more. Please visit our events page to learn more about our past programming, and stay tuned for some announcements in 2023 as ISA rolls out several new programs. We also host a video Archive containing all of our past events, and the previews below display a small portion of ISA’s many offerings.

Timothy McAllister - Muscle Memory and its Place in Your Practice Routine

Sqwonk - Creating an Identity for Your Chamber Ensemble Through Commissioning

Alexandre Souillart - Double-Tonguing and its Use in Saxophone Literature

Michael Djupstrom - How a Saxophonist Became a Composer and What You Should Know About the Commissioning Process

Master Classes

Our master classes offer an opportunity for saxophonists to receive guidance from a leading professional, and to perform for an international community of peers. Our standard master classes involve students coached by pro saxophonists. We also offer a Transcription Series, outlined below, and we frequently introduce new performance opportunities for our members.

Auditions

  • ISA members are welcome to attend and observe the master classes. Performance participation requires an audition. All ISA members may audition.

Fees

  • We do our best to raise funds for our events and provide educational opportunities free of charge. Occasionally, performance participation in certain events will require a fee. Scholarships are available.

Decisions

  • All applications are reviewed by ISA faculty and guests, and we consider more than pure performance level. Have a recital coming up and want some extra input? Preparing for an audition? Always dreamed of playing for one of our teachers? Let us know. We have an open section on the application for you to communicate with our panel, and ultimately we place students into classes based on what our jury believes will result in the best experience for everyone involved.

Master Class Previews from the ISA Archive

Alexandre Souillart coaching:
Maria Torres Melgares (Spain) - Concerto by Lars-Erik Larsson

Rhonda Taylor coaching:
Jiaxin Liu (China) - Sonata by Robert Muczynski

Asako Inoue coaching:
Hudson O’Reilly (US) - Concertino da Camera by Jacques Ibert

Timothy McAllister coaching:
Weichen Zhang (China) - Sonata by William Albright; and
Matthew Fox (US) - Jellyfish by Kristen Kuster

Series

Entrepreneurship Series

A new series dedicated to professional development and the exploration of a variety of potential careers in the music field, and beyond. We care a great deal about the need for young saxophonists to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and we are excited to present performers, teachers, managers, administrators, conductors, and more to help guide our members as they navigate a career in the arts. Here is the first event in this new series, featuring Vera Wilson, President & Founder of Astral Artists:

 
 


Transcription Series

Saxophonists frequently perform music composed for other instruments. This series offers a unique opportunity for saxophonists to study these works with masters of the original instruments. Click below to preview our first event, in which a University of Michigan graduate student performs Tchaikovsky for an award-winning violinist. Join us as we present saxophonists coached on J.S. Bach’s works by a pianist that has studied his catalog for decades; flute repertoire coached by one of the most critically acclaimed flutists of our generation; and Brahms’ clarinet works coached by…a clarinetist! All of our guests have a wealth of knowledge related to their craft, and ISA is happy to include this special program in our first season. We’ll announce more great artists soon!

 

Nikki Chooi coaching:
Valentin Kovalev (Russia) - Russian Dance from Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Clancy Newman coaching J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1

 

Sax Tech Series

Ever take a trip to your local repair technician for something you knew you should be able to fix yourself? Want to learn basic maintenance and how to keep your horn in top playing condition? Interested in learning more about the repair field?

You’re in luck! This series invites leading innovative saxophone specialists to share their experiences and to guide our members through all of their repair questions and needs. Hear how degrees in music and decades of saxophone-specific training led our guests to a career more saxophone-enthusiasts want to be familiar with. Whether you’re looking for a more knowledgeable approach to honing your craft, you’re looking to save some money or repair bills, or you’re simply fascinated by the world of saxophone manufacturing, modification, and repair, this series is one you won’t want to miss!

Matt Hess (Saxocentric) - Sax Maintenance 101

Curt Altarac (MusicMedic) - Overhauls and Why Your Shiny New Saxophone Probably Needs One

Brennan Lagan (Lagan Music) - A Technician’s Career Path & Sax Mods: What They Are and Why We Use Them

Young Artist Spotlight

Ever wonder what your international counterparts are up to? How they play, how they practice, what repertoire they’re working on. Ever wonder what it’s like to study with Nobuya Sugawa? Marie-Bernadette Charrier? Chien-Kwan Lin? Vincent David? Yeah…we did, too. One of the greatest parts of international studies can be learning about your peers in different studios around the world. This series features rising saxophone stars from the studios of our Guest Artists in Residence. Join us for live performances, interviews, discussions on daily life, auditions, culture, and more.

 

Maria Torres Melgares - University of Michigan (student of Timothy McAllister)

Sonia Tcherepanov - Conservatory of Bordeaux (France) (Student of Marie-Bernadette Charrier)