Pat Posey

Posey (right) with John Adams onstage at the Royal Albert Hall, BBC Proms, 2012

Pat Posey (born 1978) is an American musician, educator, and administrator. He is active as a saxophonist, clarinetist, and tubaxist.

Early life and education

Posey was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Woodbridge, Virginia. He attended Louisiana State University, earning a Bachelor of Music degree, and the University of Michigan, earning a Master of Music degree.[1] While at Michigan, he was a saxophone student of Donald Sinta.[2]

Performance career

Posey performs often as a saxophonist with orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony,[3] Los Angeles Philharmonic,[4] and Santa Barbara Symphony.[5] He has also performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra[6] and the New World Symphony[7] and is principal saxophonist of the San Bernardino Symphony.[8] In 2011 he performed at Carnegie Hall as guest saxophonist with the Juilliard Orchestra and composer John Adams conducting his work City Noir.[9] In 2012 he performed this work again with Adams at Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms.[10]

Posey performed as soloist in John Adams' Saxophone Concerto with the Redlands Symphony conducted by Ransom Wilson in October 2022.[11] He has also appeared as a soloist in Germany and Russia.[1] His debut album they/beast, the first streamable album featuring solo tubax, was released by Avie Records in 2023.[12]

In 2024 Posey was soloist with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Edwin Outwater in the world premiere recording of Michael Tilson Thomas' Urban Legend for baritone saxophone and orchestra, [1] was featured in the "Pat on the Sax" remix by Perfect Lovers of Whitney Weiss' Temperance release by Chinotto Records,[13] and was saxophonist in Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet released by the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.[14] In 2023 Posey performed as baritone saxophonist with Wild Up in the premiere performance of Patrick Shiroishi's Gosenzo for saxophone quartet.[15] He appears playing saxophones and tubax on the Grammy-nominated third volume of the group's Julius Eastman anthology,[16] and tubax on the soundtrack to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts written by Jongnic Bontemps.[17] He appears as alto saxophonist in the world premiere of Lewis Spratlin's Invasion with pianist Nadia Shpachenko.[18] In 2021-2022 he performed multiple soprano and baritone saxophone parts on world premiere recordings Psalms and Canticles[19] and Time[20] by Michael Torke. In 2019 he performed as dedicatee in the world premiere performance of Sean Shepherd's Sonate á 5 with Jorja Fleezanis, Karen Dreyfus, Alan Stepansky, and Conor Hanick.[21] He is a regular collaborator with Rahim AlHaj, and has performed with sitarist Shujaat Hussain Khan and tabla player Yogesh Samsi.[22]

Posey is a member of Le Train Bleu and a founding member of the Los Angeles Reed Quintet (LARQ).[23][24] He is a Conn-Selmer Performing Artist.[25]

Administrative career

Posey served as Director of Orchestral Activities and Planning at The Juilliard School from 2007 to 2012, after having held the positions of Assistant Orchestra Librarian, Personnel Manager, and Orchestra Manager in the years prior. He concurrently held administrative positions at the Stamford Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Lukes, Brevard Music Center, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, and in 2010-11 he was Director of Artistic Operations for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra project in Sydney, Australia.[22]

In September, 2012 he was appointed as Vice President of Artistic Planning and Educational Programs of the Music Academy of the West.[26] He was selected from a field of over 70 applicants following a four-month international search.[22] At the Music Academy he oversaw all artistic matters including the creation of a composer residency program that brought nearly 20 living composers to the summer festival over two years, and led the conception and implementation of partnerships with the New York Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra. He left the Music Academy in 2018.[27]

Teaching career

Posey was a Visiting assistant professor of Saxophone at the University of New Mexico.[1] He has also been a member of the performance faculty at the University of Windsor and at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.[28]

Personal life

Posey is queer.[29]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Patrick Posey". The Juilliard School. 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  2. ^ "Saxophone Studio". University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  3. ^ Katz, Leslie (2017-09-15). "Yo-Yo Ma joins MTT, SF Symphony at festive 2017 gala". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  4. ^ Schultz, Rick (2018-07-13). "Review: Gustavo Dudamel and pianist Behzod Abduraimov amp the passion, hold the schmaltz in Rachmaninoff at the Bowl". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  5. ^ Writer | @NoozhawkNews, Daniel Kepl, Noozhawk Contributing (2018-02-28). "Review: Santa Barbara Symphony Salutes Bernstein with All-American Tribute | Arts & Entertainment". Noozhawk. Retrieved 2023-09-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Patrick Posey - Biographies - Concerts & Tickets - The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra". content.thespco.org. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  7. ^ "South Florida Classical Review » » Tilson Thomas leads New World Symphony in music of Tilson Thomas". southfloridaclassicalreview.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  8. ^ "Meet the Orchestra". SB Symphony. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  9. ^ Oestreich, James R.; Smith, Steve; Kozinn, Allan (2011-02-20). "Music in Review". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  10. ^ "BBC Proms: Cooper, Juilliard Orchestra, RAM Orchestra, Adams". theartsdesk.com. 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  11. ^ "Past Events". www.redlandssymphony.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  12. ^ "they/beast". www.classical-music.com. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  13. ^ "Temperance Remixes, by Whitney Weiss". Chinotto Records. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  14. ^ Prokofiev: Music from Romeo and Juliet by Esa-Pekka Salonen & San Francisco Symphony on Apple Music, 2024-08-02, retrieved 2024-10-01
  15. ^ "The Subtle, Astonishing Art of Saxophonist and Composer Patrick Shiroishi". www.sfcv.org. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  16. ^ "New Amsterdam Records - Albums". New Amsterdam Records. 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  17. ^ "Patrick Posey | Music Department". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  18. ^ "Invasion: Music and Art for Ukraine | Nadia Shpachenko | Reference Recordings®". referencerecordings.com/. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  19. ^ "Psalms and Canticles". MICHAEL TORKE. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  20. ^ "Time". MICHAEL TORKE. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  21. ^ Writer | @noozhawknews, Gerald Carpenter, Noozhawk Contributing (2019-07-01). "Gerald Carpenter: Festival Artists Play Sean Shepherd Premiere, Works by Gounod & Chausson | Arts & Entertainment". Noozhawk. Retrieved 2023-09-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ a b c West, Tim Dougherty for the Music Academy of the (2012-05-21). "Patrick Posey Joins Music Academy as Vice President of Artistic Planning | Arts & Entertainment". Noozhawk. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  23. ^ "Le Train Bleu | Artists". Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  24. ^ Wiseblood, Caleb. "Los Angeles Reed Quintet to perform in Los Olivos". Santa Maria Sun. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  25. ^ "Patrick Posey". Centerstage. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  26. ^ Donelan, Charles (2013-06-19). "The Music Academy's New Programming VP, Patrick Posey". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  27. ^ "Patrick Posey". Music Academy. 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  28. ^ "Mälkki Leads Dvořák with Patrick Posey". LA Phil. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  29. ^ Schweitzer, Vivien (2010-10-01). "Taming Ives With Head, Heart and Humor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-14.