John Sampen, Marilyn Shrude - The Contemporary Saxophone (1992)

As one of America's leading concert saxophonists, John Sampen is particularly distinguished as an artist in contemporary literature. He has commissioned and premiered over forty new works, including compositions by Bolcom, Cage and Ussachevsky, and he has presented saxophone premieres of music by Lutoslawski, Stockhausen and Tower.

In 1970, Sampen was recitalist and certificate winner at the prestigious International Geneva Concours in Switzerland. He has been soloist with ensembles from all over the world, including the Nurnberg Symphony Orchestra, the Biel Symphony (Switzerland), the Osaka Municipal Winds (Japan), Orchestra lnternazionale d'ltalia, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony, and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble.

A recipient of an NEA Consortium Grant, Sampen has recently been involved with commissions and premiers of new music by Babbitt, Martino and Subotnick. His London premiere of Subotnick's In Two Worlds with the Electric Symphony (1988) inspired one English critic to write of ''the excel­lence, the musicianship and the total involvement of John Sampen...tremen­dous passion and eloquence."

John Sampen regularly performs traditional and contemporary literature in recital with pianist/composer Marilyn Shrude. He has recorded with the Belgian and Swiss National Radio, as well as the Capstone, CAI, Neuma and Orion labels. A clinician for the Selmer Company, Sampen has presented many master classes at important universities and conservatories in iEurope, America and Russia. He holds degrees from Northwestern University and has studied with Frederick Hemke, Donald Sinta and Larry Teal. He is presently a professor of music at Bowling Green State University.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Marilyn Shrude, John Sampen - Renewing the Myth (9:35)
1.02 - John Sampen - Images (10:42)
1.03 - Marilyn Shrude, John Sampen - Divertimento (13:05)
1.04 - John Sampen - In Two Worlds (18:45)