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Publication Date

3-7-2018

Year of Release

2018

Note(s)

Jennifer Bill, conductor

Emily Cox

Amy McGlothlin

Zach Schwartz

PROGRAM NOTES

Based in Boston, The Pharos Quartet is a stirring musical collaborative formed by four New England saxophonists. Their unique combination of ideas, styles, and expressions brings the sound of the saxophone quartet to a new apex. With a vivid repertoire, balanced between notable pioneer, as well as visionaries of tomorrow, Pharos maintains a steady appetite for today's most demanding saxophone quartet literature. Their concerts are stimulating, entertaining, and unpredictable. Its members bring together their own international performance experience and fuse it into a distinct chamber music event.

Pharos, the great lighthouse of antiquity and often considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World was built by the Ptolemaics in c.280 BC in the port city of Alexandria on the coast of Egypt. This great beacon of light that stood for around 1,000 years inspires the quartet to be a guiding light in chamber music performance of the 21st century.

Saxophonist and conductor, Dr. Jennifer Bill has performed in Asia, throughout Europe and the United States. She performs solo and chamber music with a variety of groups including BRUSH|REED, Pharos Quartet, and ēmergere. As a conductor she currently leads the Boston University Concert Band. During the 2016-2017 season Dr. Bill has performances scheduled in Minnesota, Iowa, New York, Rhode Island, and Prague.

As a saxophonist, Dr. Bill has performed contemporary chamber music with a diverse group of artists including vocalists, clarinetists, cellists, flutists, violinists, taped media, percussionists, wind quintet, and dancers. Currently she is working with visual artist Linnea Maas in the experimentation of the auralvisual in a collaboration named BRUSH|REED. BRUSH|REED has performed in Hong Kong, Scotland, and the USA Dr. Bill has participated in numerous world premieres for saxophone including most recently Faustus: a SaxOpera by John Plant in 2016 as part of World-Wide Concurrent Premieres, Greenwich Village Portraits by David Amram in 2014 as part of World-Wide Concurrent Premieres, and Canciones Andinas by Michael C. Kregler in 2014. She has been a guest soloist with the Boston University Wind Ensemble in 2016 and 2005, the BUTI Wind Ensemble in August of~015, the Hong Kong Wind Ensemble ln May of 2014, and the Northeastern University Wind Ensemble in November of 2012.

Dr. Bill is currently faculty at Boston University, performance faculty at Boston College, applied faculty at Rhode Island College, adjunct professor of saxophone at Stonehill College, and adjunct professor of music at Pine Manor College. She is the saxophone instructor, wind ensemble coordinator, and assistant director of the saxophone workshop for the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. She serves on the Board of Directors for World-Wide Concurrent Premieres and Commissioning Funds, Inc. Dr. Bill is also the sole organizer, director and officer of Music Performance & Education, Inc.

Boston based saxophonist Emily Cox plays as a freelancer for local orchestras, theaters and chamber groups as well as teaching at a number of schools in eastern Massachusetts. During her time working towards a bachelor's and master's in saxophone performance from Boston University, she performed in venues at The New England Conservatory, The Boston Conservatory and Boston University as a soloist and as a member of the Kenneth Radnofsky Saxophone Ensemble. With her contemporary saxophone duo, Motbertongue, Emily has performed in venues around Boston and Providence, presented a recital at the World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, France, and given masterclasses and performances at colleges including Muhlenberg College and the University of Rhode Island. Emily has a particular interest in new music and has enjoyed working with several composers including Joan Tower, Michael Gandolfi, John Harbison and Michael Finnissy.

Saxophonist Amy McGlothlin is a dynamic performer, teacher, and conductor with studies in a wide range of performance genres. She is a chamber music specialist and performs regularly with the Pharos Quartet as well as the Triage Woodwind Ensemble and the Catamount Pipe Band of Montpelier, Vermont.

As a performer, Amy has commissioned works from several composers, including Brandon Nelson, James Hamel, Shih-Hui Chen, and John MacDonald, and is a frequent co-commissioner of works from the World Wide Concurrent Premieres & Commissioning Fund. During 2016/2017 season Dr McGlothlin has performed with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra as a bagpipe soloist.

As a bagpiper, Dr. McGlothlin has performed across the United States, Canada, Ireland and Scotland. She has competed thrice in the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, placing fourth and sixth in 2013 and 2015 with the Catamount Pipe Band. Most recently, they have won the New England Championship in September of 2017. She is the Pipe Major and musical director of the Clan MacPherson Pipes and Drums of North Andover, MA.

Dr. McGlothlin is currently on the faculty of Salem State University, where she serves as applied saxophone faculty and the conductor of the University Band as well as the director of the Woodwind Day workshop for middle school and high school students. She is also applied saxophone faculty of Gordon College and serves on the board of directors for the Vermont Institute of Celtic Arts.

Zach Schwartz is a graduate of the Master of Performance program at the Royal College of Music in London, and both the College of Fine Arts and College of Arts and Sciences at Boston University. His background spans the fields of music performance, arts marketing, social psychology, conflict resolution, and team building.

As a soloist and chamber musician previously performing with the Dusk Duo (harp and saxophone) and Oracle Saxophone Quartet, Zach appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, the Pride of Britain Awards, the Cadogan Hall foyer, in a concerto appearance with the Royal College of Music wind orchestra, at several engagements in Catalonia, as well as· in festivals in Denmark and Finland. Feeling most at home with a baritone saxophone in his hands, Zach's debut album will feature the first-ever studio recording of Mark Watters' Rhapsody for Baritone Saxophone (1985).

Zach is the Co-CEO and co-Founder of Promote Classical, a London-headquartered classical music marketing and management firm offering affordable and bespoke career services for classical musicians of all ages, instruments, and budgets. Now based back in his native Massachusetts, Zach is keen to work with fellow international artists whose music and careers cross borders and oceans.

When not performing, rehearsing, teaching, or working with clients, Zach enjoys exploring Boston on foot, perfume shopping, and adding new entries to his beer journal.

Note

Smith Recital Hall

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department Presents the Pharos Quartet

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