Saxophonist and new music curator Drew Hosler (he/him/his) is an advocate for contemporary music, he has commissioned and premiered over one-hundred pieces by award-winning composers from all over the world including Andrew Mead, Alexis Bacon, Benjamin Attahir, Jamie Leigh Sampson, Gregory Wanamaker, Spencer Arias, and Marilyn Shrude. His upcoming debut solo album, delta waves, features thirteen world premiere recordings of 21st century works for the tenor saxophone. For this album, he has been awarded grants from EXCEL Enterprise Fund and ArtsEngine. His 2020 self-released EP Hope Will Carry Us COVID-19: Music for Solo Tenor Saxophone features eleven world premiere recordings from composers all over the world. It was featured on WSMR Florida’s Classical Music Station’s Modern Notebook hosted by Tyler Kline.
Drew is an avid performer as a soloist. He was selected as a winner of the 51st Bowling Green State University Competition in Music Performance and has been awarded grants through the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary, Pro Music, among others. He has performed concerti by Walter Mays and William Albright with the Bowling Green Philharmonia and the Bowling Green State University Concert Band under the baton of Alexander Popovici and Bruce Moss. He has performed at the Cortona Sessions for New Music, University of Kansas New Music Guild, Earth Day Art Model hosted by Travel Arts Research Center at Indiana University, Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra 75th Anniversary Alumni Recital, the 5PM Series, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Bowling Green State University ArtsX Festival, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance Imprint Series, Bowling Green State University Praecepta Concerts, International Conference on Saxophone Pedagogy and Performance as well as various North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences. His upcoming engagements include a recital with the Gilgamesh Arts and Culture Foundation, a performance at the 6th New Music Gathering Conference, and two recitals with Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame.
As a chamber musician, Drew has performed at the New Music Gathering, IDAGIO’s Global Concert Hall Arts@Future, World Saxophone Congress, Bowling Green New Music and Art Festival, Toledo Museum of Art, US Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, District New Music Coalition, and WGTE Toledo Radio. He has won multiple prizes at the Douglas Wayland Chamber Music Competition with the Epsilon Saxophone Quartet and Fifth Circle Reed Quintet. Drew is a founding member and saxophonist for the new music ensemble, The _____ Experiment. In March 2020, they released their debut album, Conversations, which includes seven world premiere recordings from five different composers. This album was funded partially by the Running Start Competition through Michigan State University. They have performed at schools across the countries including Michigan State University College of Music, The State University of New York at Potsdam Crane School of Music, and the Flint Institute of Music.
Drew is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance, a Master of Music in Chamber Music, and a Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship & Leadership from the University of Michigan. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance from Bowling Green State University. His primary instructors have been Timothy McAllister and John Sampen. He has performed in masterclasses with world-renowned saxophonists including Jan Berry Baker, Connie Frigo, Randal Hall, Jeffrey Heisler, Daniel Kientzy, and Bill Street. He is a fellow for both the Cortona Sessions for New Music and The Next Festival of Emerging Artists. He has received additional instruction at the SPLICE Institute and Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute at Snow Pond Music Festival.
Drew currently serves as the Assistant Managing Director for the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project, the Marketing and Media Graduate Student Staff Assistant for the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities, a beta tester for Silverstein Works, and an intern for the Akropolis Quintet. He also runs and maintains a private saxophone studio of students from all over the country. His studio has included students from fifth to twelfth grade from Michigan, Ohio, and Alabama. In addition, his studio has won a variety of awards including top prizes at Michigan, Ohio, and Alabama solo and ensemble festivals, winning concerto competitions, honor band placements, in addition to top chair placements in their own band.
You can find Andrew’s performance here.