“The [Adams] concerto did not disappoint, with the orchestra joined on stage by American saxophonist Tim McAllister, whose jazz-style meanderings splendidly showcased the instrument’s power and agility in the first movement. The second and final movement saw an explosion of energy…McAllister remained supremely in control of the work’s demanding semiquaver passages; octave leaps were frequent and jarring”

Hallam Fulcher Limelight Magazine (ABC Australia), Aug 2013

“a fearless musician and risk taker…a one-of-a-kind artist the way Yo-Yo Ma is”

John Adams Pulitzer Prize Laureate and Grammy-winning composer

[REVIEW: “The RLPO presents ‘Sax in the City’”] “This being an evening dedicated to the unsung sax, its foremost classical exponent, Timothy McAllister, had made the journey from the US to reprise his performance of John Adams’ new Saxophone Concerto…the work is jazz-infused, the spiralling solos giving McAllister the chance to showcase a wonderful musical agility…”

Catherine Jones The Liverpool Echo (UK) (11/27/14)

“Certainly this is a virtuosic piece, designed to test the limits of the soloist for whom it was written, Tim McAllister, who showed his technical chops and his expressive musicianship with a piece that had his instrument now noodling thoughtfully, now dashing in crazy, frenetic runs up and down the scale…”

Anne Midgette Washington Post (Sept 2013)

“Handling the extensive saxophone solos was guest musician Timothy McAllister, who performed the work’s world premiere and who was brought in at Adams’ request. Although seated in the middle of the orchestra, he stood for the solos and played the jazz-inspired riffs in a nervy, improvisatory style, a highlight of what was a fine performance.”

David Fleshler The Miami Herald/South Florida Classical Review

“Couched in Adams’ latter-day style in which fractured rhythms and thematic units exist within a potent stream of pulsation, the Saxophone Concerto also draws upon jazz influences, its soloist tumbling this way and that in pseudo-improvisatory vein…McAllister, a phenomenal technician, played it all smoothly, with classical restraint…Robertson and the St. Louis Symphony excelled in the mysteriously dappled, feinting and jabbing accompaniment.”

Tim Mangan The Orange County Register (1/28/16)

“…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), Aug 2013

Premieres

  • Chamber Music With Saxophone
  • Saxophone Quartets
  • Saxophone Solo or Saxophone With Electronics, Piano or Orchestra

2025

  • Saxophone Concerto

    Adolphus Hailstork

2024

  • Gilt

    Hannah Kendall

  • Voler

    Andrew Litts

  • You Know Me

    David Bennett Thomas

  • Second Threnody

    Renee Baker

2023

  • Yarn

    Marcos Balter

  • Corner

    Helen Feng

  • Self-Portraits, Unfinished (chorus and sax quartet)

    Martin Bresnick

  • oci, oci

    Flannery Cunningham

  • Title

    Adam B Silverman

  • Radical Revelations (reed quintet)

    Nathalie Joachim

  • in a delirium

    Michael Gordon

2022

  • Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith)

    Tyshawn Sorey

  • Breath

    Jungyoon Wie

  • Graffiti II

    Roberto Sierra

  • Mending Time

    Martin Bresnick

  • Old Tune Renewed

    Bright Sheng

  • Unsung Lullaby

    Juri Seo

  • Where Her Eye Sits for voice and saxophone quartet

    George Lewis

  • Triathlon for Saxophonist and Orchestra

    John Corigliano

  • Kid Gloves

    Griffin Candey

  • Obstacle Illusion

    Zoe Cutler

2021

  • Sweet and Doleful Timbres for soprano saxophone and guitar

    Pierre Jalbert

  • Matacuy

    Gonzalo Garrido-Lecca

  • Careful Shouts

    Nina Shekhar

  • Diptych for a Lockdown

    Andres Eloy Rodriguez

  • S.L.I.C.E.

    Chad 'Sir Wick' Hughes

2020

  • Rise

    Karalyn Schubring

2014

  • The Fifth Century for sax quartet and chamber choir

    Gavin Bryars

  • 15 Places at the Same Time for six saxophones

    Steve Lehman

  • I Will Not Apologize for My Tone Tonight for sax quintet

    Rudresh Mahanthappa

  • X Marks the Square for six saxophones

    Miguel Zenon

  • Name Day for six saxophones

    Tim Ries

2013

  • Saxophone Concerto

    John Adams

2012

  • Alternating Current for alto saxophone and wind ensemble

    Adam B Silverman

  • Messages of White

    Lei Liang

  • The Singing Gobi Desert

    Bright Sheng

2011

  • Compass

    David Rakowski

  • Lux Perpetua for soprano saxophone and orchestra

    Kathryn Salfelder

2010

  • As of This Moment

    Ilana Rainero-de-Haan

  • Leafless Trees

    David Laganella

  • raw power

    David T. Little

  • You've Been Talking in your Sleep

    David Biedenbender

2009

  • Chinatown for saxophone quartet and chinese instruments

    MingHsiu Yen

  • Antiphony for Erhu, Daruan, Percussion, and Saxophone Quartet

    Zhou Long

  • Monteverdi Responsories for saxophone quartet and chamber chorus

    Stratis Minakakis

  • Septet for saxophone quartet and chinese instruments

    Chen YI

  • Songs for Huqin and Saxophone Quartet

    Wang Gouwei

  • The Frog Prince

    Andrea Grody

  • Two by Four for flute, alto saxophone, cello, and vibraphone

    Robert Brownlow

  • YUAN

    Lei Liang

  • Zephyrus for saxophone quartet and chamber chorus

    Kristin P Kuster

2008

  • Broken Tulip for flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, contraforte, trombone and percussion

    Zae Munn

  • Golden Spike for soprano saxophone and orchestra

    Roshanne Etezady

  • PRISM (Memo 6b)

    Bernard Rands

  • Still the Fire for alto saxophone, violin, cello, and piano

    John Anthony Lennon

  • Strange Bedfellows for alto saxophone, piano, and percussion

    Robert Brownlow

  • Concerto for soprano saxophone and wind ensemble

    John Mackey

2007

  • Maxine

    Rand Steiger

  • La Seine for solo alto saxophone

    James Matheson

  • GLINT for alto saxophone and clarinet

    Roshanne Etezady

  • Every Thing Must Go

    Martin Bresnick

  • Escape Wisconsin for solo alto saxophone

    Caleb Burhans

  • Concerto for Soprano Saxophone

    Jennifer Higdon

  • Chamber Symphony No. 4 for saxophone and chamber winds

    Daniel McCarthy

  • CHROIES BETA

    Stratis Minakakis

  • and yes i said yes

    Victoria Cheah

2006

  • As Biddeth Thy Tongue for solo alto saxophone

    Kati Agocs

  • Denk dir: for solo soprano saxophone

    Marcus Karl Maroney

  • Elegy

    MingHsiu Yen

  • Hold-em for violin, tenor saxophone, clarinet, piano and percussion

    Roshanne Etezady

  • McAllisters Ceilidh for soprano saxophone and piano

    Adam B Silverman

  • Ta Entos (Those Inside)

    Stratis Minakakis

  • Three Miniatures

    Matthew Levy

2005

  • Animal, Vegetable, Mineral for saxophone quartet and orchestra

    Steven Mackey

  • Hammering Away (at the Great Unknown)

    Caroline Mallonee

  • Ludus No. 2

    Emiliano PardoTristan

  • Lyric

    Matthew Levy

  • Mix-Deep Breaths-Remix

    Samuel Pluta

  • Manic

    Nathaniel Osborn

  • Naked Time

    Shawn Crouch

  • Ouroboros

    Stephen Wilcox

  • Paradigm Lost

    Lee Hyla

  • Tidtu

    Jeff Myers

2004

  • Animal, Vegetable, Mineral

    Steven Mackey

  • B-List

    Vincent Raikhel

  • Bop

    Jennifer Higdon

  • Breath Beneath

    Kristin P Kuster

  • Brokelyn

    Tim Berne

  • Centre for mild, medium-lasting, artificial happiness

    Donnacha Dennehy

  • Happy Birthday to PRISM

    Chen YI

  • Hive Mind

    Dennis DeSantis

  • Howler Back

    Zack Browning

  • Inkling

    Roshanne Etezady

  • Jellyfish for alto saxophone and piano

    Kristin P Kuster

  • July 23, from sunrise to sunset, the summer of the S.E.P.S.A. bus rides destra e sinistra around Isc

    Ken Ueno

  • Just a Minute, Chopin

    Adam B Silverman

  • KEEN

    Roshanne Etezady

  • Lu

    Tim Ries

  • Moment of Refraction

    Robert Capanna

  • Phonai for saxophone quartet and percussion quartet

    Keith Moore

  • Refraction

    Greg Osby

  • Rise for alto saxophone, piano and electronics

    Peter Terry

  • Scherzino

    William Bolcom

  • speed metal organum blues

    Gregory Wanamaker

  • still life is life still for alto saxophone and orchestra

    Gregory Wanamaker

  • Stink Up!

    Nick Didkovsky

  • The Edge for soprano, saxophones and cello

    Eugene McBride

  • The Pilgrimage of Metal and Wood

    Joshua Penman

  • Wait a Minute...

    Libby Larsen

2003

  • Consort II: Photogram

    Brian Fennelly

  • Disclosure for alto saxophone, violin and bassoon

    Zae Munn

  • Fantasy Quartet No. 3 for tenor saxophone, violin, clarinet and piano

    Andrew Mead

  • Minimal Monk

    Anthony Cornicello

  • Pseudopod

    Richard Belcastro

  • Saxophone Quartet No. 1

    Andrew Mead

  • Short Stories

    James Primosch

  • Sonata for alto saxophone and piano

  • streetlegal for soprano saxophone and piano

    Roshanne Etezady

  • the approach

    Juliana Trivers

2002

  • Crows for alto saxophone and soprano

    John Howell Morrison

  • Duo Sonata

    Gregory Wanamaker

  • Six Bagatelles for alto saxophone and bassoon

    Andrew Mead

  • Vetro di trina for solo alto saxophone

    Bryan Burkett

  • You, Who Sang in Summer for violin, soprano saxophone, clarinet, bassoon, piano, and percussion

    Daniel McCarthy

2001

  • In Transit for alto saxophone and piano

    Mischa Zupko

  • veni, veni

    David Heinick

2000

  • Dandelions for alto saxophone and interactive electronics

    Timothy Place

  • Out of the Blue

    Frank Tichelli

  • Sonata deus sax machina for alto saxophone and piano

    Gregory Wanamaker

1999

  • Cold Water, Dry Stone for mixed sextet

    Evan Chambers

  • Contrasts

    ChiaYu Hsu

  • Dervish

    Christopher Rutkowski

  • Dream Fragments

    Gregory Wanamaker

  • Funk Assault

    Zack Browning

  • Passacaglia in Memoriam Carl Orff

    Ellwood Derr

  • Sonata for alto saxophone and piano

    Gunther Schuller

  • Tropicana

    Stella Sung

  • Variations/Doubles for alto saxophone and electronics

    Benjamin Broening

1998

  • ...con Cruces de Fuego for mixed sextet

    Erik Santos

  • Sax Notes for alto saxophone and digital tape

    Paul Steinberg

1997

  • Little Clown, My Heart: Three Love songs on texts by Sandra Cisneros for mixed septet

    John Berners

  • Trio Sonata

    John Harbison

1996

  • Doubles IV for alto saxophone and piano (U.S. Premiere)

    David Rowland

  • Fugue

    Marianne Ploger

  • Octaphone for saxophone ensemble

    Michael Timpson

  • Sonata for alto saxophone and piano (U.S. Premiere)

    Hans Kox

  • Sonata for soprano saxophone and piano

    Garland Anderson

1995

  • Come Down Heavy! for violin, saxophone and piano

    Evan Chambers

  • Finita est Comedia for mixed sextet

    Benjamin Broening

  • Sexet

    Stephen Rush

1994

  • Extended Dance Suite

    Bruce Bielawa

  • Velocity for solo soprano saxophone

    Martijn Hostetler

1993

  • Fantasy for solo saxophone

    David Strom

1992

  • Saxscape

    Tim Crowley

  • Sonata for alto saxophone and piano

    Brian Kershner

1990

  • Conversations

    John Burkwell