Saxophonist Jeff Humphrey, ’15, will present a recital with School of Music pianist I-Fei Chen on Thursday, March 29, at 6 p.m., in Rosch Recital Hall. He will be joined by alumnus saxophonist Dr. Lawrence Gwozdz, ’75.
In addition, Dr. Gwozdz will present a master class in Diers Recital Hall on March 28, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Both events are free and open to the public.
A native of New York, Mr. Humphrey currently resides in Hattiesburg, Miss., where he is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern Mississippi, studying with Gwozdz.
As a soloist, Humphrey recently gave a guest recital at the 2017 Mana Saxophone Institute and was featured soloist with the University of Southern Mississippi Wind Ensemble, performing Libby Larsen’s “Holy Roller” Humphrey has competed in many competitions as both a soloist and chamber musician. In 2016, he was the state round winner of the annual Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Competition and has performed with the winning ensemble for the Mississippi MTNA Chamber Music Competition for the past three years. A well-versed jazz saxophonist, Humphrey has performed with multiple groups at the Syracuse Jazz Festival, the University of Southern Mississippi Jazz Lab I Band and Tom Walker’s Gospel Train Big Band. As a chamber musician, Humphrey is the soprano saxophonist in the Vibe Saxophone Quartet, baritone saxophonist in the Resonance Saxophone Orchestra, and the director of the University of Southern Mississippi Sax-Chamber Orchestra.
An avid supporter of new music, Humphrey continues to seek out composers for commissions, including works for saxophone and piano, saxophone quartet and saxophone orchestra. Most recently, Humphrey gave the world premiere performance of “He Who Sleeps Behind Mountains” for alto saxophone and piano by John Secunde and “Festivities” for saxophone orchestra by Michael Young. In April he will premiere John Secunde’s “Madness Cycles” with the USM Sax-Chamber Orchestra, as well as a new saxophone quartet by Olivia Kieffer entitled “Pop Rock in Metal.”
Humphrey holds a M.M. in Saxophone Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Performer’s Certificate and Mus.B. in Saxophone Performance from Fredonia. His primary teachers have been Dr. Wildy Zumwalt and Gwozdz.
Born to Polish-American parents in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Gwozdz has achieved an international reputation for his success in revealing the qualities inherent to the saxophone as intended originally by its inventor, Adolphe Sax.
His concerts have included major cities in Europe and North America: Chicago, Leipzig, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, New York, Prague, St. Louis, Zagreb, Zurich and others. His festival appearances — the Menuhin Festival, the International Chamber Music Festival of le Touquet, Spoleto USA — have received critical acclaim. European reviews declare, “Gwozdz is a most highly versed soloist” (Neue Züricher Nachrichten), with “amazing technique and tonal beauty” (Bundner Zeitung). His performance with I Solisti di Zagreb motivated the press to write, “Gwozdz uses his instrument with superiority and virtuosity” (Vjesnik).
Gwozdz’ debut in New York’s Weill (Carnegie) Recital Hall was described in Musical America as an “extraordinary performance of contemporary music” with “the kind of timbre Adolphe Sax most likely had in mind...always with subtlety and taste” (New York Concert Review).
On television, Gwozdz appeared with famed organist Diane Bish on “The Joy of Music,” and has performed concerti and recitals on radio for the Dame Myra Hess series (Public Radio International), Czech Radio-Prague, Croatian Radio, Minnesota Public Radio and many other networks.
His CD, “An American Tribute to Sigurd Rascher” (Crystal Records) has won high praise from critics. American Record Guide wrote, “The sound is first-class ... Lovers of the saxophone will be pleased;” the reviewer in Fanfare penned, “It would be impossible to praise the performers too highly. Lawrence Gwozdz is an extraordinary saxophonist, bringing out a tremendous range of colors and effects in his instrument. I absolutely guarantee that you will enjoy it.” Albany Records has also released his CDs, “Rascher International,” “An American Concerto Tribute,” “Simply Gifts” with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, and the Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra with The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra on the CD “Hurricane!” His latest solo release is entitled “Special Handling” (Roméo Records, distributed by Qualiton Imports). Gwozdz also has recorded “Glazunov and Erland von Koch: Concerti” with the Plovdiv Philharmonic, Nayden Todorov conducting. The recording was released by Music Minus One MMOMUS@aol.com in 2000.
Gwozdz is also known for his annotated translation of the German book “Das Saxophon” by Jaap Kool (Egon Publishing, Baldock, England). Various composers - Samuel Adler, Walter Hartley, Zdenek Lukas, Armand Russell, Robert Starer, Roger Vogel, John Worley and others - have dedicated new works to him.
As professor of saxophone at Southern Miss, Gwozdz has established a studio that continues to receive worldwide attention. His student soloists, quartets and saxophone chamber orchestra perform in major cities, and are frequent winners of competitions.
Having been born with spina bifida, Gwozdz also is an advocate for arts for the handicapped and Very Special Arts. He also is active in the Campus Crusade for Christ’s Christian Faculty/Staff Forum.
Gwozdz has studied saxophone with Ronald Tyree, Robert Fought, Laurence Wyman, and the renowned artists Sigurd Rascher and Jean-Marie Londeix. His degrees include the D.M.A. from the University of Iowa, the M.M. from the University of Nebraska, and the Mus.B. from Fredonia.
