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Kenneth Radnofsky

Ken Radnofsky

Education and Training

BM, University of Houston; MM, New England Conservatory. Saxophone and clarinet with Joseph Allard, Jeffrey Lerner, David Salge, Steven Hoyle, Terry Anderson, and Duncan Hale.

Kenneth Radnofsky

Division: College, Expanded Education

Department: Woodwinds

Instrument: Saxophone

Saxophonist Kenneth Radnofsky has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras and ensembles throughout the world, including the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and New York Philharmonic under the direction of Maestro Kurt Masur, Jerusalem Symphony, Dresden Staatskapelle, Taipei and Taiwan Symphonies, New World Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra, Marlboro Festival, and Vista Philharmonic under the direction of Bruce Hangen.

Mr. Radnofsky made his Carnegie Hall debut with the New York premiere of Gunther Schuller’s Saxophone Concerto with the National Orchestral Association. The world premiere of the Schuller was also given by Radnofsky with the Pittsburgh Symphony, with both of the performances conducted by the composer. David Amram’s Concerto, ‘Ode to Lord Buckley,’ is also dedicated to Radnofsky, who premiered the work with the Portland Symphony under Bruce Hangen’s direction. Radnofsky has performed on numerous occasions for the Boston Symphony, was thrice soloist with Boston Modern Orchestra Project (Hovhaness, Olivero, Gandolfi concerti) with conductor Gil Rose, and twice with Boston Classical Orchestra with conductor Steven Lipsitt. He has been a frequent soloist with conductors John Mauceri and John Williams with the Boston Pops in Franz Waxman’s Suite for Saxophone, ‘A Place in the Sun.’

Of his more than 100 commissions, American composers who have written for Radnofsky include Schuller, Amram, Francine Trester, James Yannatos, Michael Gandolfi, Michael Colgrass, Donald Martino, Ezra Sims, Chris Theofanidis, Michael Horvit, John McDonald, Larry Bell, Roger Bourland, Allen Johnson, Elliott Schwartz, Pasquale Tassone, and Armand Qualliotine. On Dec. 3, 1995 an innovative commission of a sonata by Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Harbison was premiered by forty-three saxophonists in different locations around the globe in an effort organized by Radnofsky, entitled World-Wide Concurrent Premieres, Inc.(WWCP). Mr. Radnofsky is Founder of WWCP, and has created a network of musicians commissioning today’s finest composers including Yang Yong, Christian Yufra, Juan Ruiz, Jaime Fatas, Shih-Hui Chen, Andy Vores, Lei Liang, Vincent Plush, Baris Perker and Jakov Jakoulov.

Ken Radnofsky celebrates over forty years of teaching and performances, which have included concerts in New York, Istanbul, Rome, Taipei, Havana, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Montreal, Boston, Mexico City, Caracas, Manchester, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzho. His most recent 2023 tour ‘Looking for Higher Ground, Music of Emigres and Refugees,’ was seen in 10 cities across US and Canada. Radnofsky has also recently premiered new solo works by John Heiss, Joan Tower, Francine Trester, performed at the Asia Saxophone Congress and in Boston with violinist Elmira Darvarova with Steven Lipsitt’s Bach, Beethoven and Brahms Society Orchestra. He also premiered Osnat Netzer’s Concerto with the same orchestra, the orchestral version of David Amram’s ‘Greenwich Village Portraits’ with The Orchestra of Indian Hill, Amram’s ‘Three Lost Loves,’ the world premiere of Rufus Reid’s ‘Crosscurrents’ for Saxophone, Bass and Piano at NEC’s historic Jordan Hall and on the New York Philharmonic Chamber Series.

Concurrent with his US performing and teaching, Radnofsky has designed and implemented a saxophone program for Venezuela with saxophone professor Claudio Dioguardi, taught in Brazil, Turkey, and frequently in Israel, Taiwan and China. Radnofsky is committed to outreach on an international scale. He has been President of the Boston Woodwind Society, an organization dedicated to fostering the development of talented young woodwind players, a founding member with Charles Peltz of the Gunther Schuller Society, and co-founder with Michael Couper, of RC Editions (woodwind music publishing house).

He is Professor of Saxophone and Chamber Music at New England Conservatory, and Lecturer at Boston University, where he also directs the Summer Tanglewood Institute.

His current solo CD releases include David Amram’s So in America (Affetto 1801); Ode to Lord Buckley (NewportClassic Recordings); Debussy Rhapsody with the New York Philharmonic (Teldec13133/Apex); Radnofsky.com (Boston Records 1043); Fascinatin’ Rhythms (Boston Records 1044); Gandolfi Fantasia, From the Institutes of Groove, (BMOP/sound 1028); Donald Martino’s Saxophone Concerto (New World 80529-2) and Elliott Schwartz ‘Mehitabel’s Serenade’ (Albany-Troy 646), both with NEC orchestra and conductor Richard Hoenich; Michael Colgrass’ ‘Dream Dancer’ (Mode 125) with NEC Wind Ensemble and conductor Charles Peltz; and as soloist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, in Franz Waxman’s A Place in the Sun, under John Mauceri’s direction (Philips 4321092). He has many ‘free’ recordings on Soundcloud and YouTube.

Looking for Higher Ground: Music by Refugees and Émigrés

Curriculum Vitae

BM, University of Houston; MM, New England Conservatory. Saxophone and clarinet with Joseph Allard, Jeffrey Lerner, David Salge, Steven Hoyle, Terry Anderson, and Duncan Hale.

Affiliated Departments and Programs

Chamber Music