Music professor to perform world premiere of saxophone concerto by Grammy-nominated composer

Christopher Creviston, associate professor in Arizona State University's School of Music and internationally renowned saxophonist, will perform the world premiere of Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra (2019) by Carter Pann, Grammy-nominated composer and 2016 Pulitzer Prize finalist in music, on Feb. 29 with the ASU Symphony Orchestra.

Commissioned by Creviston and ASU’s Symphony Orchestra with Jeffery Meyer and the Crane Symphony Orchestra with Ching-Chun Lai, the concerto will also be performed by Creviston and the ASU Symphony Orchestra at the March 6 at the Mesa Arts Center as the opening concert of the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference.

This is the third world premiere Creviston will perform with the ASU large ensembles. In 2016, he performed the world premiere of William Bolcom’s Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Winds, and in 2014 he presented the world premiere of Frank Ticheli’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble.

A champion of new music, Creviston has commissioned or collaborated on commissions of over 35 works for solo saxophone and saxophone chamber music.

Creviston’s latest recording, “Phoenix Rising” (July 2019), includes premieres of 11 new composition commissions.

In a featured review of the album, Heidi Radtke of The Saxophonist magazine stated, "Simply put, this album is stunning. The compositions are excellent. The performances are first rate ... captivating from beginning to end. ‘Phoenix Rising’ is highly recommended for all and should be required listening within every saxophone studio."

The album, on the Blue Griffin label, features new works by composers William Bolcom, Stacy Garrop, Eric Mandat, Mischa Zupko, Carter Pann, John Anthony Lennon and Evan Hause. All compositions were commissioned by and for Creviston and include guest artists Hannah Creviston, piano; the Arizona State University Wind Symphony with Gary W. Hill, conductor; and Joseph Lulloff, alto saxophone.

The recording is available at Presto Music, Spotify, Amazon and iTunes among others.

Creviston, a Yamaha Performing Artist, has performed in venues ranging from the Apollo Theater to Carnegie Hall and has been featured with some of the world’s top orchestras and wind ensembles. A versatile player with experience in the world of classical repertoire as well as jazz and pop, he performs regularly as a soloist, with the Capital Quartet and in duos with pianist Hannah Creviston and guitarist Oren Fader. Creviston is the current president of the North American Saxophone Alliance and serves as the faculty mentor of the Arizona State University Saxophone Studio.