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Described as an “admirably talented musician” (The News-Gazette), Wilson Poffenberger, based in South Georgia, is highly sought after as a soloist, pedagogue, chamber musician, and improviser.
He is currently Professor of Saxophone at Valdosta State University, where he teaches classical and jazz saxophone, jazz improvisation, woodwind methods, and chamber music.
A Distinguished Solo and Chamber Career
Wilson Poffenberger has appeared as soloist with prestigious ensembles and orchestras:
➤ Mostly Modern Orchestra
➤ Sinfonia da Camera
➤ Boston Modern Orchestra Project
➤ contraBAND Ensemble
➤ Illinois Modern Ensemble
➤ Illinois Wind Symphony
➤ Dana Symphony Orchestra
➤ Youngstown State University Percussion Ensemble
➤ Hagerstown Municipal Band
He has given recitals across the United States and internationally at prestigious festivals and conferences, including:
➤ Boston New Music Initiative
➤ Cortona Sessions for New Music
➤ Boston Conservatory at Berklee New Music Festival
➤ XVIII World Saxophone Congress (Zagreb, Croatia)
➤ EMS60 Conference
➤ Splice New Music Festival
➤ International Saxophone Symposium
➤ North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference
➤ Duquesne Saxophone Day
➤ Fondation des États-Unis and Fondation Biermans-Lapôtre (Paris)
Awards and Recognition
His talent has been recognized through numerous prizes:
➤ UI Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition
➤ American Prize Chamber Music Competition
➤ Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition
➤ North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition
➤ Mostly Modern Festival Concerto Competition
➤ Krannert Debut Artist Competition
➤ Enkor International Woodwind and Brass Competition
➤ Harriet Hale Woolley Award
➤ Dana Young Artist Competition
As a pedagogue, Wilson has given masterclasses at prestigious institutions, including:
➤ University of Georgia
➤ University of Florida
➤ Georgia State University
➤ New England Conservatory
➤ Duquesne University
➤ Texas A&M International University
A Leading Voice in Contemporary Music
A passionate advocate of new music, Wilson Poffenberger has premiered and commissioned over 30 works by composers such as:
➤ Matthew Aucoin
➤ Annika Socolofsky
➤ Robert Lemay
➤ Étienne Rolin
➤ Badie Khaleghian
➤ Alexis Bacon
➤ Gregory Wanamaker
➤ Carolyn Borcherding
➤ Joel Love
➤ Susanna Hancock
➤ David Biedenbender
➤ Elsie Bae Han
➤ Drew Farrar
He is co-founder of RE:duo (saxophone & viola), an innovative ensemble dedicated to pushing artistic boundaries through interdisciplinary and experimental programming.
RE:duo has performed in residencies and major festivals, including:
➤ Composers Conference
➤ Avaloch Farms Music Institute
➤ Cortona Sessions for New Music
➤ Splice Institute
➤ International Saxophone Symposium
➤ North American Saxophone Alliance National Conference
➤ Boston Conservatory at Berklee
➤ University of North Texas
Education and Research
Wilson Poffenberger holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where his research focused on creating a resource for free improvisation for classical saxophonists.
He also earned a Master of Music from Youngstown State University, a Bachelor of Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and pursued additional studies at the CRR Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris) and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee (CCMP program).
Wilson Poffenberger performs exclusively on Selmer Paris instruments and is a JLV Sound Ambassador.
