presents
FSU Saxophone Day: Guest Artist Masterclass
Thomas Giles, saxophone
Saturday, September 13, 2025 10:00 a.m.
Dohnányi Recital Hall
PROGRAM
Rock Steady (2015)
Westland (2016)
Quatuor de Saxophones (2002)
Caleb Wolf, alto saxophone
Olivia Turke, tenor saxophone
Evan Williams (b. 1988)
Andy Scott (b. 1966)
Jun Nagao
I. Perdre (b. 1964) II. Chercher
Close Quarters Quartet
Matthew James, soprano saxophone
Johann Koh, alto saxophone
AJ Nguyen, tenor saxophone
Zach Matthews, baritone saxophone
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.
Thomas Giles is a dynamic saxophonist celebrated for his imaginative and theatrical approach to contemporary music. Described as “insanely clever” (Classic FM), with “crystalline clarity” (Südkurier) and “ricocheting intensity” (The New York Times), Giles has premiered over 250 new works, many written specifically for him. His collaborations span composers like Meredith Monk, David Lang, and Augusta Read Thomas, as well as the indie-rock duo Wye Oak.
A laureate of the Walter W. Naumburg International Saxophone Competition, Giles has performed as a soloist at National Sawdust, Constellation Chicago, and with ensembles including the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and the National Music Festival Orchestra. His international appearances include Carnegie Hall, SFJAZZ, Bachfest Leipzig, and the Cité de la Musique de Strasbourg.
Giles is a founding member of Telos Consort—a flexible new music quintet of two saxophones, violin, cello, and piano. The ensemble’s modular concept frequently calls on his adroit skills playing all saxophones, flutes, and clarinets. He has appeared in over a dozen productions across theater, opera, and dance, including Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, La Belle et la Bête, and on tour with the A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham dance company. He is a regular guest within leading ensembles including Alarm Will Sound, London Royal Opera co., New York City Opera Orchestra, Opera Parallèle, Contemporaneous, ensembles Signal, MISE-EN, Échappé, Metropolis, as well as the PRISM and Raschèr saxophone quartets. From 2012-2022, he was a member of the critically-acclaimed MANA Quartet.
Giles has appeared on over a dozen studio recordings. His first lead release with pianist Liana Pailodze Harron, Mysteries of the Macabre (2022), featured first recordings of works by Ligeti, Messiaen, Asiya Korepanova, and Jay Schwartz. His second album, Mundiglossia (2023), spotlights Cole Blouin’s gargantuan “obstacle course” work for solo soprano saxophone.
A committed educator, Giles teaches at Longy School of Music, Queens College, and the 92nd Street Y, and frequently presents at top institutions. He holds a Doctor of Music from Florida State University and is endorsed by Yanagisawa and D’Addario Woodwinds.