Although the saxophone is most commonly associated with jazz music, a whole world of rich music is written for the classical saxophone.
Students passionate about playing the classical saxophone may be considering earning a music degree to turn their love for music into a career.
Getting a formal education in saxophone is not an explicit requirement for getting a job as a professional musician.
Still, it can be a great way to kickstart the process and make yourself stand out for potential opportunities.
Of course, attending a school that offers a robust classical saxophone program is crucial since each school has different faculty, resources, and program offerings varying in quality and relevance.
Considering all of the above, here are our picks for 10 of the best classical saxophone schools in the US.
Remember that these are not necessarily the 10 absolute top schools, but rather, we find these 10 choices to be good options for students looking into colleges for saxophone performance.
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (Ann Arbor, MI)
The University of Michigan is home to the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, one of the best performing arts schools in the country.
The saxophone studio program at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is run by Dr. Timothy McAllister, a widely admired classical saxophonist whose extensive repertoire includes being a featured soloist on a 2014 Grammy award-winning album.
Several of the most prominent contemporary saxophone players in the world are alumni of the University of Michigan, including all four members of award-winning The Sinta Quartet, McAllister himself, and numerous other music school faculty members throughout the country.
Classical saxophone students at UMich have access to the school’s state-of-the-art facilities, including the Hill Auditorium, the recently renovated Earl V. Moore building, loads of practice rooms, school instruments, and numerous performance venues.
Northwestern University Bienen School of Music (Evanston, IL)
Located just an hour outside Chicago, Northwestern University is a private school featuring the Bienen School of Music, an excellent choice for classical saxophone students.
Bienen is known for taking an approach to music education that emphasizes professional, conservatory-level musical training and rigorous study in other academic subjects.
As a result, saxophone students at the school are sure to graduate with a broad, holistic understanding of the field.
Bienen offers a bachelor of music degree in saxophone at the undergraduate level. The saxophone BM program is run by professor of saxophone and member of the esteemed PRISM Quartet Taimur Sullivan.
Bienen is a great option for students interested in dual degrees; it is currently ranked #9 on the 2022 edition of US News and World Report’s annual list of the best universities in the country.
New England Conservatory of Music (Boston, MA)
Founded in 1867, the New England Conservatory of Music — a private music school that offers collegiate-level music education to students of all ages — is the oldest music conservatory in the United States.
The New England Conservatory is widely known for being one of the best schools for music in the entire world, and its classical saxophone offerings are no exception.
Under the instruction of Kenneth Radnofsky, active saxophone soloist and professor with over 30 years of experience under his belt, students in saxophone courses at NEC receive intensive technical training, study music theory, learn a wide range of chamber & classical pieces, and more.
NEC’s saxophone department regularly hosts faculty and student recitals, offering students many opportunities to perform or support their peers.
Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY)
The Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester is a fantastic music school with an excellent saxophone studio program that is a great fit for students interested in classical saxophone performance.
Since Eastman started offering saxophone studies in 1972, many graduates of the program have gone on to become award-winning performing artists, conductors, and prominent music scholars and educators.
The strong legacy of Eastman alumni is due, in part, to the excellent faculty members in charge of the music department.
At the head of the saxophone studio is Chien-Kwan Lin, professor of saxophone and founding director of the Eastman Saxophone Project — a saxophone ensemble that performs without a conductor and without referencing sheet music.
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (Bloomington, IN)
A part of Indiana University, the Jacobs School of Music is an excellent music school founded in 1921.
Over the course of its century-long history of granting music degrees, IU Jacobs has become one of the best music schools in the world.
In fact, according to QS World University Rankings, Jacobs ranks seventh among performing arts schools worldwide and second in the United States.
The woodwinds department at IU Jacobs offers degree programs in six different areas of study, one of which is saxophone. Undergraduate degree options include the bachelor of music in performance, music education, or a BS in music and another subject.
Saxophone courses are taught by Otis Murphy, a gifted saxophonist who has received numerous accolades for his artistry.
Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
Consistently ranking among the top 10 colleges for music in the United States, the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University has a saxophone program, which consists of performance-focused, conservatory-like musician training, a number of performance opportunities, studios, seminars, and more.
Students in the saxophone program at Peabody have the opportunity to study under the school’s amazing faculty, many members of which are award-winning scholars, educators, and saxophonists.
The faculty member in classical saxophone at Peabody is Doug O’Connor, a founding member of the Red Line Saxophone Quartet, which won a gold medal at the Fischoff competition.
To prepare for the audition, students applying to Peabody’s saxophone program must learn to play two contrasting movements from a major sonata and two etudes of different styles.
Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts (Bowling Green, OH)
Bowling Green State University is home to the College of Musical Arts (CMA), a music school that is known for providing outstanding musical education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Each year, CMA offers all music students more than 600 performance opportunities, allowing them to experience what it is like to play their instruments in one of the several large, state-of-the-art concert halls on campus.
The head of saxophone studies at CMA is John Sampen, an internationally celebrated concert saxophonist, composer, and recipient of several prestigious music awards.
University of Iowa School of Music (Iowa City, IA)
A part of the University of Iowa, which has been named among the best public colleges in the midwestern United States, the School of Music is known for providing an excellent music education.
Iowa’s School of Music also features amazing resources and facilities, such as the vast Rita Benton Music Library, which is home to over 90,000 scores, 60,000 books, and thousands of other archival materials relating to music.
The music department faculty at Iowa SOM is made up of about 60 members, many of whom are seasoned musicians widely recognized as some of the foremost musical experts of our time.
One of these is Kenneth Tse, a prominent classical saxophonist who serves as professor and “Distinguished Chair” of saxophone at Iowa.
Lawrence University Conservatory of Music (Appleton, WI)
Established in 1874, the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music earned itself a strong reputation for being a distinguished institution of music education.
With its excellent faculty, world-class academic programs, professional-quality musical training, and abundant performance opportunities, the Conservatory of Music is a great choice of music school for those who want to study classical saxophone.
For undergraduate students, Lawrence has a bachelor’s degree program in music performance, which offers classical saxophone as a major option.
Classical saxophonists in the BM program are required to take courses in performance, pedagogy, and conducting, as well as various elective courses and ensemble participation.
The faculty member at Lawrence is Joseph R. Connor, an accomplished player who has performed with the Chicago Lyric Opera, Grant Park, Chicago Philharmonic, and many other ensembles in the midwest and beyond.
Manhattan School of Music (New York, NY)
Manhattan School of Music is home to a robust department of classical music studies, offering degree programs in classical saxophone at the pre-college, undergraduate, and graduate levels.
Saxophone students at Manhattan study under one of the most in-demand saxophonists in the United States, Paul Cohen.
In addition to having been the professor of saxophone at the Manhattan School of Music since 1980, Cohen is also a faculty member at Queens College, Rutgers University, and New York University.
As with all of the other majors that fall under the woodwinds program at Manhattan, saxophone students study a broad range of chamber, classical, and orchestral music from different cultures and eras across history.
Manhattan School of Music also offers students numerous opportunities to attend performances by faculty or guest artists, as well as participate in student recitals and ensemble concerts.
