Dr. Joshua Heaney is a saxophonist and music educator based in Oklahoma City. Described as, “a sparkling and emotionally charged elixir of sound” (WGTE Morning Classics), Dr. Heaney’s music and research have taken him to Italy, Switzerland, and throughout the United States for regional and national conferences, festivals, music series, and radio programs. Dr. Heaney is an active concerto soloist, most recently performing with the Oklahoma City University Wind Ensemble, Missouri State University Wind Ensemble, OKC Symphonic Band, Keene State College Concert Band, Heidelberg University Symphonic Band, Atlanta Chamber Collective, Georgia State University Wind Ensemble, among others. He frequently performs as an orchestral saxophonist with the OKC Philharmonic, with prior experiences Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Lima Symphony, Macon Symphony, and the Eastern Music Festival Pops. A rising voice in contemporary music, he has commissioned and premiered over 50 works by composers including Augusta Read Thomas, Marilyn Shrude, and Viet Cuong, at festivals and conferences such as SoundNOW, BG New Music Festival, SHE: Festival, Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, Society for Minimalist Music, and North American Saxophone Alliance, among many others
Dr. Heaney serves as Saxophone Instructor and Recruitment Coordinator at Oklahoma City University’s Bass School of Music and directs the Oklahoma Saxophone Ensemble. During summers, he teaches at the internationally recognized Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute. His teachers include Gail B. Levinsky, Jan Baker, John Sampen, and Frederick L. Hemke.
OFFICIAL CD ALBUM RELEASE
ALCHEMY - Debut Album This release features contemporary music for saxophone and piano concerned with exploring a fundamentally intertwined relationship. Performed by saxophonist Joshua Heaney and pianist composer Benjamin Nylander, each piece is highly idiomatic for each instrument and makes full use of a wide pallet of techniques, colours, and sounds. The end result is a collection of music that could not be possibly performed on any other combination of instruments. Seeking novel expression, story telling, and human connection through contemporary music.
Track Listing
John Anthony Lennon: Distances Within Me (1979)
Marilyn Shrude: Lacrimosa (2006, premiere recording)
Mischa Zupko: Simple Song (2019, premiere recording)
Benjamin Nylander: Body of Water (2022, premiere recording)
Viet Cuong: Sanctuary (2020, premiere recording)
“Joshua Heaney and Benjamin Nylander execute Alchemy with the elegant precision, resonance, and introspection necessary to formulate a sparkling and emotionally charged elixir of sound.”
“Saxophone & piano duo finds the right chemistry on Alchemy!”
“Alchemy is an intense experience, and it struck me in a powerful way upon first hearing it…an outstanding release absolutely worth purchasing.”
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