Windstruments / Summer Schools / Faculty / Sax Faculty

HARROGATE SAXOPHONE SUMMER SCHOOL FACULTY

Rob Buckland is internationally acclaimed as one of the most distinctive, versatile and influential Saxophonists of his generation, performing and recording as concerto soloist, recital soloist, with his Equivox Trio and with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet. He regularly performs and records with a diverse range of ensembles, both classical and jazz, ranging from the Michael Nyman Band and Michael Buble’s UK Big Band to work with orchestras such as the Halle, BBC Philharmonic, RLPO, CBSO, LSO, BBCSSO, RSNO, Opera North, Manchester Camerata and Northern Sinfonia. He has performed as concerto soloist with the RLPO, CBSO, Orchestra of Opera North, Chinese National Symphony, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Banda Sinfonica Porto, the Bands of the RAF and Royal Marines, and the RNCM Wind Orchestra, NYWO, NYWE and NYWOW. He was also recently featured as soloist on Elvis Costello’s orchestral concert tour.

He has commissioned and recorded music from many of today’s leading composers, featuring on his own solo CDs, a CD with his Equivox Trio, eight CDs with the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, (of which he is a founder member, performing, recording and commissioning over 100 new works for the medium since the group inception in 1985) and a disc with the Apollo Saxophone Orchestra featuring the music of Barbara Thompson (2012). His recently released CD of Saxophone Concertos ‘Gameshow’ is receiving critical acclaim, and his latest duo CD “Duality” features world premiere compositions from composers such as Tim Garland, Jason Rebello, Barbara Thompson, Graham Fitkin, Andy Scott and Rob himself: music that blurs the lines between written and improvised performance. Future projects include a new recording and performance collaboration with pianist Gwylim Simcock and strings and a new project with the Apollo Quartet joining forces with the innovative Artvark Quartet, from Holland. A concerto commission from Tim Garland, and plans for 2 new CDs 2019 & 2020 are underway, one focussing on contemporary saxophone repertoire, and the other featuring Rob as composer/performer. 

As a composer, Rob’s works appear on the concert stage and on many examination syllabuses. He is currently completing a much anticipated series of works for solo saxophone and backing track (Sopranicity, AltoGenesis & Tenacity, for soprano, Alto and Tenor saxes respectively, with a Baritone work to complete the set by the end of 2018), and has written works for Solo Saxophone, Saxophone & Piano, Saxophone Quartet, Saxophone Ensemble, Saxophone & Harp, Saxophone Duets, Saxophone, Piano and Strings, Massed Saxophone and Percussion Ensemble, Saxophone & Horn Quartet, the Tenor Saxophone Collection and concert works written and recorded for Group S, and on his own Equivox Trio and Duo CDs. In recent years, Rob has expanded his work as creative record producer, recording and producing commercial CDs for groups as varied as Big Band, Saxophone Quartet, String Ensemble, Harp Duo, Saxophone Orchestra, Brass Dectet, Percussion Ensemble, and multimedia projects alongside his own solo recordings. He has written a Saxophone Method book ‘Playing The Saxophone’ detailing advanced technique and practice methods based on 20 years of teaching at the RNCM. He was the only UK saxophone soloist to perform in the opening concerto concert at the 2017 World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, and the EurSax'17 Congress in Porto, where he also performed with the Apollo Quartet and Group S and conducted the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra. He was also a member of the international jury for the WSC Saxophone Quartet competition, with saxophone colleagues Tim McAllister, Arno Bornkamp and Vincent David.

He is in demand around the world as a visionary teacher of the saxophone, recently giving masterclasses in Australia, Holland, South Africa and Portugal, and runs his own summer-schools for young saxophonists in Manchester and Harrogate each year. He is also co-artistic director of the RNCM Saxophone Day, the largest annual gathering of saxophonists in the UK, now in it’s 18th year, inviting the world’s leading jazz and classical players to the UK to perform and inspire over 250 saxophonists at each event.

Rob is Professor of Saxophone and Deputy Head of Chamber Music at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, co-Artistic Director of the annual RNCM Saxophone Day, is a solo artist and endorsee for Henri Selmer Paris saxophones and Vandoren Reeds, and is published by www.astute-music.com

Carl Raven is a freelance saxophonist, improvisor and educator. He performs regularly with the Halle, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish, RLPO, RPO,  Manchester Camerata, Opera North, Northern Sinfonia. He is also a member of House of Bedlam, a UK based contemporary music ensemble and is a member of the Apollo Saxophone Quartet. He has solo recordings on Naxos and Odradek and appears regularly on BBC radio. Carl is a saxophone tutor at the RNCM, Manchester University and Chetham's School of Music.

He has performed with many top UK and US jazz performers: inc. Gwilym Simcock, Jason Rebello, Julian Arguelles, Brian Blade, Danilo Perez and John Pattitucci. 

During lockdown, Carl created a ground-breaking new education project, taken up by eight UK Music Centres. A series of on-line instruction videos triggers musical material from local students of all ages, this was then transformed into a unique musical and visual creation. The 'Biggest Big Band' project stretched students' listening, performing and creative skills and kept young musicians challenged during lockdown.

Carl's current project involves electronics, electronic sensors on the saxophone and MaxMSP programming. The project premiered at Dartington Summer Festival this year (2021). 

Sally MacTaggart is an award-winning saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist and teacher. A versatile performer, her work has taken her from Wigmore Hall recitals through to the BBC Proms, West End theatre and UK tours.

Sally has performed with some of the country's leading orchestras including the Royal Opera House, Britten Sinfonia, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Manchester Camerata and Chroma Ensemble. Recent work includes recording the solo theme for BBC drama The Trial of Christine Keeler, performing with the Royal Opera House on the multi-award-winning opera 4.48 Psychosis, Britten Sinfonia’s televised Philip Glass/Ravi Shankar BBC Prom, as a soloist with Manchester Camerata for International Women’s Day, Opera North’s acclaimed production of Kiss me Kate.

As a multi-instrumentalist, Sally is a versatile and sought-after pit musician with the ability to play saxophones, flutes, clarinets and oboe. She performs and deputises in the West End and UK and International tours. Recent productions include Billy Elliot, Motown, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Big Fish, Addams Family, Dusty, Shrek, Elf, Grease and Book of Mormon.

Sally is a member of award-winning chamber ensemble Kaleidoscope. Described as “irresistible” by The Times, the ensemble has won awards from the City Music Foundation, Worshipful Company of Musicians, Hattori Foundation, Tunnell Trust and Park Lane Group. Highlights have included performances at the Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Bridgewater Hall and the Purcell Room. They released their critically acclaimed debut album Oil in July 2016.

Sally studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, graduating with first class honours, followed by a Masters at the Guildhall School of Music. She won numerous internal prizes for both concerto, solo and chamber music performances and was supported during her studies with scholarships from the Philharmonia's Martin Musical Scholarship Fund and the Countess of Munster Trust. 

Sally’s teaching commitments have included working for numerous private schools and organisations, delivering high-level tuition to players of all abilities. Her students have gone on to win scholarship places at music conservatoires, universities, junior music college departments and scholarship places into some of the top private schools in the country, as well as being accepted into the National Youth Wind Orchestra, National Youth Wind Ensemble and National Children’s Orchestras. She has led workshops for Live Music Now and the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and given masterclasses at numerous schools and colleges across the country. Outside of term time, she coaches on the Harrogate Saxophone Summer School.

Gillian Blair is an award winning classical Saxophonist from the Wirral, UK.

Praised for her ‘flawless and accomplished’ performances (Peterborough Telegraph) and ‘honest and genuine music-making’ (D’Addario Competition), Gillian Blair enjoys a varied career as a classical saxophonist, chamber musician and educator. She has won first prize in competitions including the International Young Musician Competition at the Llangollen Eisteddfod, the D'addario Single Reed Competition, the RNCM Woodwind Competition, the Charles Scarratt Award for Young Musicians and the RNCM's Sir John Manduell Prize.

As a soloist, she has performed around Europe, North America and Asia at festivals and concert series' including the BBC Proms, EurSax, Koganei Miyajigakki Hall (Tokyo), PepsiCo Recital Hall (Texas), University of Arkansas, World Saxophone Congress, Oklahoma State University, North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, the Palaver Festival and several broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. She has appeared as a guest soloist with ensembles including the Band of the Coldstream Guards, Commonwealth String Orchestra, Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra, University of Arkansas Saxophone Ensemble, City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Wirral Symphony Orchestra, Bolton Chamber Orchestra, the RNCM Percussion Ensemble and the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra. Future concerto appearances include the premieres of new concertos by Natasha Senanayake and Paul Carroll which have been commissioned for her and the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra, as well as a new commission from Lucy Armstrong which will be premiered in 2020.

Gillian is a keen advocate of new music and has commissioned numerous works as a soloist and for her various chamber ensembles from emerging and established composers including Gary Carpenter, Zack Browning, Andrew Boss, Lucy Armstrong, Tom Harrold, Lucy Pankhurst, Paul Mitchell-Davidson, Grace Evangeline Mason, Rob Buckland and Melissa Douglas. 

Gillian is passionate about chamber music and performs regularly with the Polaris Duo (saxophone and harp) and the Borealis Saxophone Quartet. Both of these ensembles have enjoyed competition success and have performed in some of the UK's most prestigious venues as well as performances overseas in Croatia and Serbia. A recent collaboration with American Saxophonist Nathan Mertens has led to joint commissions of music for 2 saxophones and piano from composers Lucy Armstrong, Zack Browning, Rob Buckland and Andrew Boss. They have given performances and masterclasses in Japan, the UK, the USA and Croatia and are looking forward to releasing their debut album in 2020. More information about these ensembles can be found below in the 'ensembles' section of this website.

Larger ensembles that Gillian has worked with include the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Manchester Concert Orchestra, European Union Youth Wind Orchestra, the Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra, the Soundscape Chamber Orchestra, the Tenor Saxophone Collective and she has performed, recorded and given workshops with the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra and the Band of the Coldstream Guards. 

Gillian holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied with Rob Buckland, Carl Raven and Andy Scott. During her studies she was a finalist in the RNCM’s prestigious Concerto and Gold Medal competitions and she received scholarships from the Oglesby Charitable Trust, the Helen Mackaness Award and the Countess of Munster Trust. Upon graduating, Gillian was awarded the Timothy Reynish Award for outstanding contribution to the RNCM. She has received tuition and appeared in masterclasses with acclaimed international artists and studied at the renowned 'l’Université Européenne de Saxophone' in Gap, France. 

Gillian is an active educator and is on the faculty at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music and the Universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield. She has presented masterclasses around the UK and USA and enjoys leading workshops for woodwind days and summer schools throughout the UK. 

Gillian is a Henri Selmer Paris Artist and a Vandoren UK Artist.