Concertino for Tenor Saxophone, Strings & Winds: Conductor Score & Parts

This concertino solves the real problem of finding substantial tenor saxophone solo literature that demands genuine musicianship across multiple styles. The flexible instrumentation opens the piece to a wide range of school programs, while the three-movement arc gives conductors a finished work with dramatic arc rather than a short novelty. Most importantly, the final movement's improvisational requirement teaches students that contemporary saxophone performance means real harmonic literacy and spontaneous creation, not just reading what's on the page.

The Concertino unfolds across three distinct emotional landscapes. The opening allegro moderato carries a breezy, accessible warmth as strings and winds paint rhythmic figures beneath the saxophone's song-like melody. The lento strips away complexity to let the tenor voice bloom in pure lyricism, supported by gentle harmonic motion. The final movement ignites into energy and swagger, with Latin and jazz grooves propelling the saxophonist into territory where written notes become the launching point for spontaneous expression.

This work is designed for advanced high school and college programs with a tenor saxophonist ready for contest or festival performance. The flexible instrumentation makes it accessible to both large orchestras with substantial woodwind and string sections and to chamber ensembles using sextet and quintet combinations. Programs interested in repertoire that fuses classical form with jazz vocabulary will find a natural fit.

• Spend time with the optional alto saxophone part before rehearsals begin. Having it prepared lets you adapt quickly if your tenor soloist needs support or if you want to feature both instruments.
• Approach the modal vamp in the third movement as a jazz standard would be approached: establish the harmonic center and tempo with the rhythm section before bringing in the soloist, then give the saxophonist space to breathe and develop ideas.
• Use the lento second movement to calibrate balance between the soloist and string accompaniment. The lyrical writing exposes any rhythmic unevenness in the ensemble, so lock the tempo and phrasing with conductors rehearsals before adding the soloist.
• Feature your strongest ensemble readers in the opening allegro moderato. The orchestral vocabulary and style shifts establish the soloist's landscape, and crisp ensemble playing makes the saxophone's entrance land with impact.

Place this on a concert where you're building a case for jazz as concert music rather than an ancillary offering. It works well in the second half of a program, after establishing classical repertoire, as a bridge into more experimental or contemporary work. The piece also serves festivals and competitions that value stylistic breadth; the three-movement structure and soloistic demands check the box for musicianship across genres.

• Reading and executing modal chord changes in improvisation
• Blending lyrical phrasing with ensemble support in orchestral texture
• Switching between classical articulation, swing feel, and Latin rhythmic vocabulary
• Leading an ensemble as soloist while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Stylistic accuracy in jazz, Latin, and folk-influenced musical contexts