Stephen Page
"Love my Key Leaves! An elegant and effective solution to a problem that every saxophonist will experience."
- Dr. Stephen C. Page (University of Texas Austin, Butler School of Music, Zzyzx Quartet)
Described by noted American composer Libby Larsen as “fearless on stage,” saxophonist Stephen Page has garnered international prominence as one of the leading saxophonist’s of today’s younger generation.
Dr. Page has appeared across four continents, in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, and across the United States. He has performed under such notable conductors as Fredrick Fennell, Ray Cramer, Craig Kirchhoff, Gary Hill, Toshiyuki Shimada, Gary Green, Richard Heidel and Akira Mori.
Well known for his interpretations of the great original works for saxophone, Stephen has also gained acclaim for his innovative arrangements and performances of the violin repertoire from composers such as Brahms, Faure, Grieg, Franck and Prokofiev, and Bach. He has also furthered the saxophone repertoire through the commissioning of new works from composers such as John Mackey, David Maslanka, David Rakowski, Ida Gotkovsky, David Canfield, Mark Lewis, Gregory Wanamaker, and Mark Mellits, among many others.
Stephen has won prizes in no fewer than ten international and national competitions, including 1st Prizes at the North American Saxophone Alliance Solo Competition, Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Competition, AUREC Saxophone Competition and the Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition. Additionally he has been awarded 2nd Prize in the North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition (2008 and 2010), the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition, and a Silver Medal at the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
As the Alto Saxophone chair of the critically acclaimed Zzyzx Quartet, Stephen has appeared internationally in venues both public and academic in such notable venues as Izumi hall in Osaka, Japan, and Symphony Space in New York City. Their most recent recording, “Intersections” features standard original repertoire for quartet, newly commissioned works, and the group’s own transcriptions. Most recently, Zzyzx was selected to serve on the panel for the 2014 Barlow Endowment Prize as one of three internationally recognized quartets, and will premiere the winning composer’s new work for quartet in 2016.
Dr. Page has been an active recording artist since producing his first recording at 21 years old. Since that time, he has produced nine additional recordings as a soloist and chamber musician, which can be heard on the Enharmonic, Teal Creek, Crystal Music, and AUR Labels.
Currently residing in Texas and teaching at the Butler School of Music within the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Page has earned degrees from the University of Minnesota, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and the University of Iowa, having studied under Eugene Rousseau, Otis Murphy and Kenneth Tse, respectively.