Hailed as “the ideal collaborator for new music” and praised for his “beautiful tone and technique“ by Brutal New Music Review, saxophonist and new music curator Drew Hosler (he/him/his) is an advocate for contemporary music. Drew has commissioned, premiered, and collaborated on over 150 pieces by award-winning composers such as Andrew Mead, Jamie Leigh Sampson, David Heinick, Matthew Kennedy, and Marilyn Shrude. His upcoming debut solo album, delta waves, features thirteen world premiere recordings of 21st century works for the tenor saxophone funded in part by the EXCEL Enterprise Fund and ArtsEngine. His 2020 self-released EP Hope Will Carry Us COVID-19: Music for Solo Tenor Saxophone features eleven world premiere recordings from composers all over the world. It was featured on WSMR Florida’s Classical Music Station’s Modern Notebook hosted by Tyler Kline.

Drew is an avid performer as a soloist. In 2022, he gave the world premiere of Josh Trentadue’s tenor saxophone concerto, To fly and to fall with conductor Kim Fleming and musicians of The University of Michigan. Additionally, he has performed concerti by Walter Mays and William Albright with the Bowling Green Philharmonia and the BGSU Concert Band under the baton of Alexander Popovici and Bruce Moss respectively. He has also performed a variety of music for solo saxophone at the New Music Gathering, University of Kansas New Music Guild, 15-Minutes-of-Fame, New Music Mosaic, Boston New Music Initiative, as well as various North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences. He was awarded prize at the 2022 Vivaldi International Music Competition, the 2021 Charleston International Music Competition’s Contemporary Music Competition, the 2022 London Classical Music Competition, and the 51st Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Competition in Music Performance in 2017. Drew has also performed with ensembles such as the Saginaw Eddy Concert Band and the Lima Symphony Orchestra.

Drew is a founding member, saxophonist, and artistic director for the new music ensemble, The _____ Experiment. To date, the ensemble has worked with composers to premiere over 30 works for various mixed chamber instrumentations. In March 2020, The _____ Experiment released their debut album, Conversations, which includes seven world premiere recordings from five different composers which was funded partially by the Running Start Competition through Michigan State University. They were the guest ensemble for Praecepta’s New Music Mini-Fest at BGSU’s College of Musical Arts where they performed 10 pieces including 7 world premieres by BGSU graduate students and alumni. The ensemble has performed across the country, including the Michigan State University College of Music, SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music, the Flint Institute of Music, and Narloch Piano Studio in Chicago. In addition, the ensemble was awarded multiple prizes through the Charleston International Music Competition’s 2021 Contemporary Music Competition. This includes first prize for their performance of Jasper Sussman’s …nice box! “Oh So Square“ for tenor saxophone and harp. Upcoming engagements include performances with New Music Chicago and the University of Florida. In addition, Drew currently serves as the Assistant Managing Director for the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project. 

Drew holds a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance, a Master of Music in Chamber Music, and a Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship & Leadership from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance. He also holds a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from Bowling Green State University College of Music Arts. Prior to that, he studied at the Flint Institute of Music. His primary instructors have been Timothy McAllister, John Sampen, and Jeffrey Price.

For more info visit:
www.thomasgilessax.com
www.themanaquartet.com

Combining athletic virtuosity and lyrical expressionism, Gregory Wanamaker’s music has been called “achingly beautiful” (Palm Beach Daily News), “compelling” (Audiophile Audition) “outstanding” (American Record Guide) “cutting-edge” (Tallahassee Democrat) and “a technical tour de force” (Fanfare).

Gregory’s earliest musical training began at age 6 in professional summer stock theater companies, and continued through both schooled and self-guided explorations through the American folk music of the 1960s, bebop and free jazz, and Western classical music of the late 20th century. He continues his study of sounds to those from around the world, to draw from a variety of musics to inform his continually evolving voice.

His music has been commissioned and performed all over the world by soloists and ensembles including PRISM Quartet, Akropolis Reed Quintet, Trujillo Symphony Orchestra, Capitol Quartet, Timothy McAllister, Robert Spring, Christopher Creviston, Oren Fader, Masato Kumoi Saxophone Quartet, The MAVerick Ensemble, Velocity2, The Donald Sinta Quartet, The Gregg Smith Singers, janus trio, Deborah Bish, The Three Reeds Duo, Lynn McGrath, and The Society for New Music.

Fluent in all musical media, Wanamaker’s best-known works are his chamber works that exploit unique timbral characteristics and technical extensions of wind instruments. To date, his virtuosic Duo Sonata for clarinet and saxophone has received over 300 performances world-wide and is featured on five commercial recordings. His Sonata deus sax machina is one of the required pieces for finalists of the 2014 Adolphe Sax International Competition in Dinant, Belgium.

Gregory Wanamaker’s multimedia collaboration with 2013 MacArthur Fellowship Award Winner Carrie Mae Weems, A Story Within a Story, was commissioned in 2011 by the Syracuse-based Society for New Music, and was supported in part by a National Endowment for the Arts 2011 Access to Artistic Excellence Grant. He also is the recipient of a 2012 Individual Artist Commission from The New York State Council on the Arts and 20 consecutive standard awards from ASCAP in addition to awards from the National Association of Composers/USA and Britten-On-The-Bay.

Gregory also collaborates with the British award-winning director and writer, Garth Bardsley, with whom he has composed several substantial works. Their Adirondack Songs for chorus and large wind ensemble is available on Mark Records. Their new work Laude! for choir and orchestra, will be premiered in December 2016 at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY for broadcast on PBS affiliate stations.

Wanamaker currently serves as Professor of Composition at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam where he has taught since 1997. He studied composition with William Averitt, Thomas Albert, Anthony Branker and Ladislav Kubík.

Gregory Wanamaker has several recorded works on several labels including Innova, Albany, Centaur, Blue Griffin, Mark Custom, White Pine, and Summit. He publishes his own music, which is available exclusively through this website.

Jazz pianist and more.

Hear me on the following albums (also available on all streaming services):

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kLNITM1ntEAuYrnBgFoleXGeTPZIedY0o (Track 6: "Dubious Dachshund" is one of my original compositions!)
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lH77Aa6a1EB0LQMkSU3lL7UeeFPwIFBwk&si=ilrdnmiDlXi9Mgxb
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n2-PKBWlnzNbL3Yv-U0mrLT5aiDPtId0M
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mrld5kFAQQayn98KkYTLuhjVcPNKbLoIM


With the following bands:

https://linktr.ee/qarumusic
http://solveramusic.com
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100069584230845


And in the following videos:

https://youtu.be/R0lBiWXPNeE
https://youtu.be/G29fgBjh5V0
https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/index.php/extwidget/preview/partner_id/2354731/uiconf_id/42050181/entry_id/1_ir6ri9ms/embed/dynamic#t=30:00
https://www.facebook.com/101700300/videos/10100911820257708/
https://www.facebook.com/100003082256067/videos/2812873515492029/
https://www.facebook.com/100003082256067/videos/2803343753111672/

Thanks for the listen!

The original PFB Podcast with Carson Cunningham and Colby Powell discussing all things Oklahoma State athletics.

estults is following