BOWLING GREEN, O.—Nearly 300 saxophonists will converge on Bowling Green State University this weekend for the regional meeting of the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA). A first for BGSU, the convention is the equivalent of a major medical research convention, representing the five-state region of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, said Dr. John Sampen, BGSU Distinguished Artist Professor and internationally known saxophonist. Attending the event will be performers and composers from all over the United States and Canada.

The conference is arguably the national hotbed for the concert saxophone in America. “This is our research,” Sampen said. “We’ve been working on this all year.”

Nearly 75 performances, lectures and world premieres will take place at the College of Musical Arts. New works will premiere, and rising stars will be discovered, Sampen said. Events begin with a concert at 8 p.m. Friday, March 1, and continue through the closing concert Sunday afternoon, March 3.

Special guests include Dr. Frederick Hemke, a professor emeritus of saxophone from Northwestern University, and Donald Sinta, the Arthur F. Thurnau and Earl V. Moore Professor of Saxophone at the University of Michigan. Both are internationally known performing artists and teachers. Also featured will be the famous Capitol Saxophone Quartet with Christopher Creviston, Joseph Lulloff , David Stambler and Andrew Dahlke.

Sampen and his 20-piece student saxophone choir will premiere the saxophone version of John Luther Adams’ “Strange Birds Passing” at the opening Friday concert. Sampen will also perform a saxophone premiere of György Kurtág’s “In Nomine all’ongherese” at the 4 p.m. Saturday concert.

For ticket information and a schedule for the regional convention, check the NASA website at http://www.nasa2013bgsu.com/

###