Dr john sampen biography

American classical saxophonist

John Sampen (born 1949) is an Americanclassicalsaxophonist.

Sampen's degrees are from Northwestern University (B.M., 1971; M.M., 1972; and Doctor of Music, 1984). His teachers included Frederick Hemke, Larry Teal, and Donald Sinta. He has served as professor of saxophone at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio since 1977. His wife is the composer and pianist Marilyn Shrude.

Sampen plays all types of the saxophone. He specializes in new music, and has commissioned over 60 new works for these instruments, from composers such as Samuel Adler, William Albright, Milton Babbitt, William Bolcom, John Cage, Michael Colgrass, John Harbison, Donald Martino, Ryo Noda, Pauline Oliveros, Bernard Rands, Gunther Schuller, Elliott Schwartz, Marilyn Shrude, Morton Subotnick, and Vladimir Ussachevsky.

Partial discography

• Sampen, John: The Electric Saxophone. Works by Bunce, Cage, Furman, Mobberley, Shrude, Tower, and Ussachevsky. Brooklyn, New York: Capstone Records, CPS-8636, 1997.
• Sampen, John and Marilyn Shrude:
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  Morton Subotnick’s “In Two Worlds”: A Timeline

  Joshua Heaney

  PREFACE

  Morton Subotnick’s In Two Worlds is a seminal work for alto saxophone and electronics. Subotnick’s work presented many innovations for its compositional era and was among the first works for saxophone that integrated live sound processing, live synthesized MIDI sounds, and instruments such as the Yamaha WX7 Wind Controller and Air Drum. The work can accordingly be seen as an early precursor to today’s works that utilize Max/MSP for live audio processing. In Two Worlds’ development was less than straightforward, however, in part due to its cutting-edge nature. The following timeline outlines the major events during the genesis, development, and subsequent revival of In Two Worlds. It is my hope that performers and scholars will find this timeline to be a convenient resource in their own study of this work.

  TIMELINE

  1984: In Two Worlds was commissioned with a National Endowment for the Arts Consortium Grant for $18,000. The consortium was lead by saxophonists Kenneth Radnofs

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  As recipient of NEA and Meet the Composer grants, John Sampen has been involved with commissions and
  premieres of new music by Albright, Babbitt, Martino and Subotnick. His London premiere of Subotnick's
  “In Two Worlds” with the Electric Symphony featured him as the first classical performer to solo on
  Yamaha's WX7 Wind Controller. The performance inspired an English critic to write of "the excellence,
  the musicianship and the total involvement of John Sampen... tremendous passion and eloquence." 
  
  Sampen has recorded with Belgian and Swiss National Radio and is represented on the Orion, CRI, Albany,
  AMP and Capstone record labels. A clinician for the Conn-Selmer Company, he has presented masterclasses
  at important universities and conservatories throughout Europe, Asia and North America.  In addition to
  contemporary literature, Sampen regularly performs traditional saxophone repertoire in recital with
  pianist/composer Marilyn Shrude. He holds degrees from Northwestern University and has studied with
  Frederick Hemke, Donald