Steven Bryant
2014: Concerto for Alto Saxophone
Steven Bryant (b. 1972) is a composer and conductor of works for wind ensemble, orchestra, electronics, and chamber music. He has studied composition with John Corigliano at the Juilliard School, Cindy McTee at the University of North Texas, and Francis McBeth at Ouachita University.
Bryant has received commissions from the Juilliard Orchestra, the Indiana University Wind Ensemble, the US Air Force Band of Mid-America, the Calgary Stampede Band, and other ensembles. The National Band Association has awarded Bryant the William D. Revelli Award for three compositions: Radiant Joy, Suite Dreams, and Ecstatic Waters.
Commissioned by Howard J. Gourwitz as a gift to saxophonist Joseph Lulloff and the Michigan State University Wind Symphony, Bryant's Concerto for Alto Saxophone won the 2014 Sousa/ABA/Ostwald Award. The three movements of the work are based on a single motive derived from the opening notes of Paul Creston's Sonata for Alto Saxophone.
Bryant has written that he "strove to create a work that explores and celebrates the idiomatic characteristics of the saxophone." The piece features numerous growls and challenging runs for the soloist. The final flourish in the score comes with the instruction, "Set horn on fire, fly away with jet pack."