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Project Description
Noted Performances
Saxophonist Javier Oviedo and conductor Jean-Pierre Schmitt
have appeared with orchestras in the US and abroad including:
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USA
CSP Orchestra - Carnegie Hall, New York
Orchestra 54 - Lincoln Center, New York
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ABROAD
L’Orchestre Lamoureux - Salle Cortot, Paris, FRANCE
L’Orchestre Pasdeloup - Debut recording, FRANCE
The National Orchestra - REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
The State Philharmonic of Oryol - RUSSIAN FEDERATION
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In January 2015, Javier Oviedo will be the guest soloist with
The Chattanooga Symphony in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Recent Collaborations
CSP is proud to have premiered over 10 new works for
saxophone and orchestra by composers from around the world
including:
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Byron Bellows, Lazy Afternoon New York!
Albert Carbonell - Solar Plexsus Barcelona, Spain !
Jon Liechty, Ode New York!
Hélène Rasquier, Samsara, Prana Paris/New York!
Jorge Sosa - Domino Effect New York!
Philippe Treuille, The Adventures of the Blue Cat New York
Contact
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www.classicalsaxproject.org
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Although the saxophone is of French origin (Patented in Paris in
1846), it was the American, Elise Hall, who is given credit for
commissioning many of the first major works composed for the
instrument. A socialite from Boston at the turn of the 20th century,
Mrs. Hall, née Boyer, sought out the most widely known composers
of the time. Claude Debussy, Vincent d’Indy, and Florent Schmitt,
among other Prix de Rome winning composers, all dedicated music
to Mrs. Hall making her America’s first Classical Saxophonist. The
manuscripts of most of these compositions, left to a library in
Boston after Mrs. Hall’s death in 1924, were the starting point of the
Classical Saxophone Project.
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CSP is a 501(c3) non-profit organization and Oviedo and Schmitt
work relentlessly to introduce new audiences to the “classical”
styles of the saxophone. They have even expanded the repertoire
by commissioning pieces. In 2007 the artists recorded The Classical
Saxophone: A French Love Story with the Orchestre Pasdeloup in
Paris. Released by MSR Classics, the CD already caused a stir
among music lovers garnering acclaim from the worldwide press.
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The educational component of the project is essential for the two
artists. Each year CSP hosts a number of master classes, lectures
and symposiums in schools and universities and performs with
student ensembles throughout the United States. Each year CSP
hosts a series of master classes and events for students of all levels
of experience. From community schools to universities, Javier
Oviedo and Jean-Pierre Schmitt work with not only saxophone
students but indeed all musicians in the art classical music genre.
These events are all free or at low-cost to the participants.
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Students are also encouraged to perform in the annual “Happy
Birthday Adolphe Sax” which happens around the November 6th
birthdate of the inventor. Performances include soloists, small
ensembles, and a sax choir conducted by Maestro Schmitt.
Debra Kaye, And So It Begins New York!
244 West 54th Street, Suite 602
New York, NY 10019
T 212-245-2779
Conceived by classical saxophonist Javier Oviedo and conductor
Jean-Pierre Schmitt in 2007, The Classical Saxophone Project has
for mission to foster awareness of the classical repertoire of the
saxophone. While the saxophone is widely known as a jazz
instrument, the very rich “classical” repertoire written for the
instrument beginning from the mid-19th century is practically
unknown to the public.
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To promote this superb collection of musical gems, Oviedo and
Schmitt have traveled throughout the world including France, Spain,
and Moldova, to central Russia performing with great success.
Oviedo’s interpretation of this original music charms and amazes
audiences. The press has hailed the warmth and lushness of
Javier’s haunting sound as a “revelation!”
Javier Oviedo - Executive Director
[email protected]
Jean-Pierre Schmitt - Artistic Director
[email protected]
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facebook.com/ClassicalSaxProject
twitter.com/saxproject
youtube.com/ClassicalSaxChannel
Press (Selected)
“...Javier Oviedo is one of the newest soloists of the classical
saxophone, and he has taken a special interest in bringing lost
repertoire to the public. This release, with the assistance of the
Orchestre Pasdeloup of France and conductor Jean-Pierre
Schmitt, delves into the French romantic literature of the late l9th
and early 20th centuries. - American Record Guide
“Javier Oviedo’s faultless tone is as exquisite as ever. JeanPierre’s perfectly balanced orchestral arrangements appear on
both Mayeur’s, and Bozza’s compositions. With the majority of
the album providing world premiere recordings of these
compositions it succeeds in shining a light upon previously ‘lost’
work.” - Blog Critics Music Review
“In-born talent, excellent education, and experience allowed
[Jean-Pierre Schmitt] to create a miracle with our orchestra
within just one week.” - Oryol Press
“The three-movement suite by Grovlez is a gorgeous work which
could be very popular on concert programs due to its suggestions
of both Faure and Satie.” - Audiophile Audition
“...a must-buy release for saxophone fanciers and highly
recommended release for anyone attracted to genial French music
of the last century.” - Fanfare Magazine
Javier Oviedo - saxophonist
One of the brightest soloists of the classical saxophone world, Javier Oviedo is acclaimed for his lustrous tone, passionate musicianship, and formidable technique.
He works tirelessly to present the saxophone as a unique, versatile, exciting classical instrument. His continuing research has helped introduce the rich tradition of
musical composition for the entire saxophone family. Along with these older works, he has commissioned and premiered a dozen new pieces, both in the United
States and abroad. He is especially prized for his eclectic programs, which have such unusual combinations as transcriptions of older masters such as Bach and
Debussy, the music of 20th Century masters such as Elliot Carter, Paul Hindemith, and John Corigliano, and new pieces written expressly for him.
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Mr. Oviedo has performed to great praise in many cities across the country and around the world from China to Latin American to many cities in Eastern and
Western Europe including Paris, Barcelona, the Republic of Moldova, and in the Russian Federation. He has appeared with the New Jersey Symphony, the Austin
Symphony, L’Orchestre Lamoureux and L’Orchestre à cordes d’Ariège in France, and both National Philharmonics of Moldova and Oryol, Russia.
An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Mr. Oviedo has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center,
Salle Cortot, and The United Nations. He was an original member of the Elision Saxophone Quartet in his native Texas. He was also a founding member of The
F.R.E.D. Chamber Players, which explored new or under-performed chamber music, theater pieces, plays, and art from centuries old and new. Mr. Oviedo also
collaborates with artists in chamber music, performing in venues across the Tri-State area.
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His his debut recording, The Classical Saxophone: A French Love Story, featured original music for saxophone and orchestra from the 19th and 20th Centuries.
The disc received high praise by industry critics and the public at large.
The CD was recorded in Paris with the Orchestre Pasdeloup under the direction of Jean-Pierre Schmitt. Mr. Oviedo’s newest release, Lazy Afternoon: Salon Music
for Classical Saxophone of Byron Bellows, recorded with St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble with Maestro Schmitt. Oviedo’s recordings are available on the MSR
Label (msrcd.com), Amazon, iTunes, and via Pandora Internet Radio.
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Mr. Oviedo is a founding member and Executive Director of The Classical Saxophone Project (CSP) (classicalsaxproject.org), a natural extension of his research
and performances. An important mandate of CSP is continuing education, where he works with students of all ages to keep classical music, and the saxophone, vital
parts of the music world.
For the 2014-15 concert season Mr. Oviedo will return to Carnegie Hall twice, performing with CSP premiering a new work by French composer Hélène Rasquier
and American composer P. Kallach Waddle. He will also make his debut with the Chatanooga Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kayoko Dan. New York
composer, Debra Kaye, will release her CD recording featuring Oviedo entitled Finding Accord.
Jean-Pierre Schmitt - conductor
Praised for his precision and elegance at the podium, conductor Jean-Pierre Schmitt was trained in the purest French conducting tradition under the tutelage
of his friend and mentor, the late maestro Jean Fournet. In June 2013 he lead the premier of a new work at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to great
applause. Maestro Schmitt is admired by the orchestra members he has conducted and possesses a rare ability to convey his musical insights to the
performers. In France, Mr. Schmitt worked with the Conservatory Paris V youth orchestras and the International Orchestra in Paris. He has since conducted around the
world as an invited guest on several occasions to lead both the Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Macedonia, the National Orchestra of
Moldova, and the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Oryol in the Russian Federation.
In the United States Maestro Schmitt was invited to conduct the Classic Chamber Orchestra of Connecticut and the New York Lawyers’ Orchestra. He also
lead The Monte Vista Chamber Orchestra in Texas and The Louisiana Chamber Orchestra. Schmitt is the founder of The French-American Chamber
Orchestra in New York, performing on New York’s finest stages including the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.
Jean-Pierre Schmitt’s recordings have been well received by critics and the public alike and his affinity for the art of accompanying a soloist comes through.
In 2003 Schmitt recorded two concertos for cello by Josef Haydn with The French-American Chamber Orchestra and cellist Ariane Lallemand. Later, in
2008, he recorded The Classical Saxophone: A French Love Story with Orchestre Pasdeloup and saxophonist Javier Oviedo.