“…immense excellence…while the compositions themselves were reason enough to find great enjoyment in the presentation, it was the way that the duo played their respective instruments that enamored me…wholly in tune with the music, unbridled joy and passion.”

Aaron Barrow The Daily Mississippian (3/24/24)

“The LA Philharmonic played beautifully throughout the performance (indeed, through the entire evening), with notable solo work from Timothy McAllister on saxophone…”

Robert D. Thomas Music Critic, Pasadena Star-News

“McAllister’s evocative renditions and virtuoso artistry throughout the CD [SCENA] enables the music, as well as the saxophone, to transcend the potential pitfalls inherent in an ambitious project of this nature and allow the listener to be embraced by the musical challenges presented for both performer and listener…an excellent CD in both performance and composition of music.”

Frank Bongiorno The Saxophone Symposium

“The world premiere ‘Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith)’ by the artiste etoile Tyshawn Sorey brings a meditative contrast. Together with the saxophonist Timothy McAllister, the musicians paint broad lines, delving into the mysteries of sound. The plucking strings are falling drops of water that always sound different. The mixture of bass clarinet, trombones, and string basses - a hum that resonates inside us.”

Roman Kuhne Luzerner Zeitung (August 2022)

“…the world premiere of his new saxophone concerto was, therefore, a very special moment indeed. John Adams’ saxophone concerto is written for classical saxophonist Timothy McAllister. He gave an astonishing performance. Adams has thrown down the gauntlet with a solo line which demands speed, flexibility, musicality and, above all, stamina to keep going with barely a bar’s rest. McAllister delivered, punching out the “nervous bebop” sound (Adams’ description) with manic intensity, like a...

Harriet Cunningham The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)

“Hailstork’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Strings is a potent distillation of American music, with elements of high church, jazz, and African-American spirituals…the pairing of saxophone and strings created a powerful, minimalist effect; a canvas upon which McAllister painted Hailstork’s complex melodies that commanded every note in his instrument’s range. An electrifying and auspicious premiere.”

Frank Housh Media Room: The Arts in Real Life (6/1/25)

“Connesson knows how to be lyrical and expressive beyond the sentimentalism of John Adams. The audience, left breathless by the astounding virtuosity of Timothy McAllister, cheered on the composer who will see his work recorded for Deutsche Grammophon with the same performers.”

Bertrand Hainut DIAPASON Magazine (France)

Vincent Ho

Whimsical Concerto of Fanciful Birds (2023)
I. Enchanted Migrations
II. Angels and Mockingbirds
III. Urban Birds

Premiered by Tim McAllister and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, this concerto represents the culmination of the composer’s years of writing for saxophone, namely in the series “Whimsical Sketches of Fanciful Birds, Books 1-3” for alto saxophone and piano. This series are a collection of fifteen works that explore various bird-like or bird-inspired sounds that could be created on the saxophone instrument. After writing this collection (with the possibility of more to come), the inevitable next step was to adapt many of these musical ideas into a large-scale concerto. To fully capture the spirit of the avian world Ho envisioned, it was decided to score it for solo alto saxophone, orchestra, and spatialized saxophone ensemble–a collective of saxophonists placed in various areas of the concert hall surrounding the audience (eg. loges, balconies, aisles, etc) to serve as the “flock of birds” accompanying the soloist and orchestra while creating an immersive sonic experience for the audience.

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