Kathleen Orr’s Senior Saxophone Recital is scheduled for tonight at 7 in the Alexander Recital Hall.

Orr, a senior instrumental music education major, has been playing the alto saxophone since the fifth grade. She started out playing the piano but switched to the saxophone when she discovered she had a passion for it.

As a music major, Orr is expected to play solos in studio recitals, competitions and student recitals. She has performed on the alto, tenor and baritone saxophone.
“I did around 10 solo performances in high school,” Orr said. “In college, I’ve performed solo around 50 times.”

Orr plans to be either a band director or give private saxophone lessons after graduation.

Right now, she plays tenor in a saxophone quartet and a studio ensemble under the direction of Dr. Max Plank, and is also a member of the EMU Symphonic Band. During her freshman and sophomore years in college she was an active member of a jazz combo and jazz ensemble, but could not this year due to time constraints.

Orr has been preparing for her senior recital since last March. She picked her five pieces to play a year ago based on the criteria set down by the music department.

She will be performing Jascha Gurewich’s “Capriccio,” Ryo Noda’s “Mai,” Leon Stein’s “Quartet for Saxophone,” Pierre Max DuBois’ “La Gremelitte” and Jacques Ibert’s “Concertino da Camera.”

In order for music education majors to fulfill graduation requirements, the students are required to perform a senior recital for a panel of professors in their field.
For Orr, the panel is composed of woodwind professors.

“This is a recital approval, and it is basically the final for your four years of private lessons,” Orr said. “The recital is not graded, it is just a bit of fun to show off.”

Orr’s favorite genre of music to play is classical music written for the saxophone, although she is beginning to enjoy contemporary music such as Ryo Noda.

“As a saxophonist, I listen to a lot of Marcel Mule,” Orr said. “He was the first world famous saxophonist and was nicknamed ‘The Father of the Saxophone.’”

Orr’s saxophone professor, Dr. Plank, has been teaching music at EMU since 1968.

He received degrees from Emporia State University and the University of Michigan. Before coming to EMU, Plank taught at public schools in Kansas City, Kansas.