The first Schulich in Concert event for 2020 features Arête Duo, a saxophone and percussion duo based in Washington, D.C. Doug O’Connor (saxophone) and Jacob Harpster (percussion) met as members of the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” and formed this duo with a shared love of contemporary music and commissioning projects. Their debut performance happened to have a strong link to the Schulich School of Music – they performed Prof. Robert Hasegawa’s work Ajax is all about attack at the 2018 Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium.
Next week’s concert, at 7.30pm on Monday February 10th in Tanna Schulich Hall, will feature that work and another new commission from Robert Hasegawa, along with works by other Schulich faculty (Melissa Hui and Philippe Leroux) and students (Thom Cardoso-Grant and Edwin H. Ng).
Use the promo code ARETEDUO30 for a 30% discount on your tickets to their February 10th concert. Buy tickets here
We asked saxophonist Doug O’Connor to answer a few questions ahead of this unique concert:
How and when did your musical interactions with Robert Hasegawa begin?
Bob Hasegawa and I met at the Eastman School of Music, where I was a doctoral student taking his music theory course on microtonality. He became one of my favourite professors there, and I came to discover the piece he wrote for Yesaroun’ Duo, Ajax is all about attack. I had always wanted to perform this piece, and had a chance when I got to know the stellar percussionist Jacob Harpster at the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”
After performing this work, I invited Bob to be a part of a large project I was organizing called Saxophone Genesis, a concert of five new chamber commissions by five diverse composers. There were no rules for the commissions, other than that they had to include the saxophone somehow. The length and instrumentation were composer’s choice, and Bob decided to write the second in a projected series of four total Ajax works for saxophones and percussion.
Watch the Arête Duo's performance of Prof. Robert Hasegawa's Ajax is all about Attack 2 last year at the Kennedy Center:
Briefly describe the process of collaboration with the McGill composers for this concert:
Following up on the commissioning and performance of Ajax is all about attack 2 for alto saxophone and metal percussion, we began working on a proposal to play Bob’s works at McGill University - also home to great friends of the saxophone like composer Philipe Leroux, and to internationally-renowned saxophonists like Marie-Chantal Leclair. We became excited especially by the prospect of developing additional repertoire for the instrumentation by giving two student composers an opportunity to have their music premiered in our performance, and soon we had an all McGill-composed program on our hands. We’re very excited about that, and look forward to sharing the tremendous output of this program in other performances in the USA and abroad.
What first drew you to contemporary music, and commissioning new works for this instrumental combination?
Originally I studied contemporary music as a kind of musician’s ninja warrior training: contemporary music presents incredibly diverse challenges to the performer, both technically as well as aurally and interpretively, and early on I was intensely focused on developing these skills and abilities. However, as I performed more music by contemporary composers and grew into my professional career, I took a different affinity to contemporary compositions: when you commission, perform, record, and/or disseminate a new piece of music, you have been a part of creating something from nothing and then ensuring that it survives beyond you. This is thrilling.
Composers must ask themselves the question, “Why does this piece need to exist?” and so performers should also ask, “Why does the world need another performance of this work?” I work a great deal in my own time on non-contemporary music, Bach especially, and even there I am always striving to answer that question with how I play the music. Maybe there hasn’t yet been an accurate enough performance, or a personal enough one…or maybe there hasn’t been one at all.
What are you looking forward to during your visit to Montreal?
I have long wanted to visit Montreal, as have many of my compatriots: in fact, there is a contingent of 7 of us capitalizing on the opportunity! We look forward to experiencing the Québécois culture of Montreal, checking out some good cocktail bars, engaging in the rich arts scene of the city and McGill University, and of course, the poutine. Two of us are avid photographers, and we are excited to take some pictures of the city in the snow. This is our first visit ever to Montreal.
The Performers:
Doug O'Connor, saxophone
Praised for his “seamless technique” and “sumptuous lyricism” (Philadelphia Inquirer), saxophonist Doug O’Connor has performed across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. He holds DMA and MM degrees from the Eastman School of Music, and a BM in Saxophone Performance from the University of Maryland. O’Connor recently served as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music, as Associate Lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, as saxophonist with the United States Naval Academy Band, and is currently employed as ceremonial saxophonist with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”
Dr. O’Connor recently performed as a concerto soloist at the 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, and has been featured with the National Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, Musica Nova, the Eastman and University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Jazz Ensembles, as well as various college percussion ensembles.
With a passion for chamber music, Dr. O’Connor recently commissioned and premiered five new works for saxophone and mixed instrumentations at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He was a member of the Red Line Saxophone Quartet, which won top prizes at the Chesapeake, Coleman, NASA, Fischoff, Plowman, and MTNA chamber music competitions, and premiered five new works for sax quartet and electronics on MATA’s Interval Series in NYC. Dr. O’Connor is a co-founder of the Global Premiere Consortium Commissioning Project, an online platform for instigating the composition, dissemination, and performance of new music worldwide. To date, Global Premiere has been able to support commissions for five new pieces of music, supported by performers across the world and authored by a diversity of composers.
Jacob Harpster, percussion
Jacob Harpster is a percussionist currently residing in Washington, D.C., where he is a member of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” As a performer, Harpster is known for his diverse background. In the Broadway idiom, Harpster has presented concerts across the globe. He was the featured marimba soloist and percussionist of the Tony and Emmy award winning Broadway production “Blast.” With this show, he toured the United States, South Korea, and all 47 prefectures in Japan.
As a soloist and chamber musician, Harpster has won many awards and competitions, and has presented concerts throughout the United States and Europe. Harpster enjoys an active career as an orchestral percussionist and timpanist. In addition to his freelance orchestral career, Harpster has attended prominent summer music festivals and has served as percussionist for Civic Orchestra of Chicago. An enthusiast of contemporary music, Harpster is commissioning and premiering many new works each year. Harpster collaborates with many notable contemporary music ensembles such as Chicago-based Fonema Consort, and InterSpheres Trio. In 2010, Harpster was named first-prize winner of the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition.
Harpster received his Master of Music in percussion performance with related field studies in contemporary music performance from the University of North Texas. He received his Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Upon graduating from IU, Harpster was awarded the prestigious Performer's Certificate.
The Program:
Robert Hasegawa: Ajax is all about attack 1 (2003)
Thom Cardoso-Grant: artifact iv (2019, premiere)
Edwin H. Ng: Sounds of Bells Whistling at Night (2019, premiere)
Philippe Leroux: Airs (2003)
Melissa Hui: Solo SPPx (2000)
Robert Hasegawa: Ajax is all about attack 2 (2019)
Buy tickets (use the code ARETEDUO30 for 30% off tickets)
