ABOUT THE GUEST ARTIST
THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC
presents
FSU Saxophone Day: FSU Supersax Ensemble featuring Jon Irabagon, saxophone
Saturday, September 30, 2023 2:30 p.m. Dohnányi Recital Hall
PROGRAM The Red Sea
Bob Mintzer
Witch Hunt
Wayne Shorter arr. Ramon Ricker
Creature Feature
Jerry Bergonzi arr. Ramon Ricker
Shenanigans
Jim McNeely Jon Irabagon, saxophone Tyler Pauletti, soprano and alto saxophone; Nina DeFillippo, alto saxophone Kyle Bramson, tenor saxophone; Jacob Wright, tenor saxophone Joshua Spraker, baritone saxophone; Asher Pereira, piano Dane Harter, bass; John Gonzalez, drum set
To Ensure An Enjoyable Concert Experience For All… Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting during performances. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Recording or broadcasting of the concert by any means, including the use of digital cameras, cell phones, or other devices is expressly forbidden. Please deactivate all portable electronic devices including watches, cell phones, pagers, hand-held gaming devices or other electronic equipment that may distract the audience or performers. Florida State University provides accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please notify the College of Music at (850) 644-3424 at least five working days prior to a musical event to request accommodation for disability or alternative program format.
First-generation Filipino-American Jon Irabagon (b. 1978, Chicago) has been influenced by the self-empowering and individualistic philosophies and aesthetic of the great AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) ensembles as well as the historic world-class tenor saxophone lineage from his hometown. Equally adept at composing for rising stars in new music and the most intricate modern jazz ensemble, Irabagon builds on this foundation by adding modern classical and late-period John Coltrane to his compositional base, focusing primarily on mixed chamber ensembles to take advantage of hand-chosen musicians’ voices and attitudes. After earning the Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University, Irabagon continued his education by earning a Master of Arts from the Manhattan School of Music and completing post-graduate studies in the jazz program at Juilliard, where he received an Artist Diploma. However, Irabagon’s accomplishments do not end with his education. Irabagon was also the winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition, winner of the Rising Star award in Downbeat Magazine for both alto and tenor saxophones, and the recipient of a Philippine Presidential Award, the highest civilian honor an overseas Filipino can receive in commemoration for their contributions to the perception of Filipinos worldwide.