Saxophone Ensemble – Otis Murphy, director

About this event

About the DirectorOtis Murphy holds the position of professor of saxophone and chair of the Department of Woodwinds at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, joining the faculty at the age of 28 and becoming one of the youngest faculty members in its history. He is in great demand as an international soloist and clinician, having performed in more than 20 countries worldwide across four continents: North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Murphy was a prizewinner in the Adolphe Sax International Saxophone Competition (Belgium) and the Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition (France) and has performed in venues, including Carnegie Hall's Isaac Stern Auditorium, Merkin Hall (New York City), Casals Hall (Tokyo); Palau de la Musica (Valencia); and Muziekgebouw aan het Ij (Amsterdam). Murphy has appeared on more than 15 recordings, including four solo albums receiving critical acclaim. He performed Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Quintet for Alto Saxophone and String Quartet with the Pacifica Quartet on their album, Contemporary Voices, winning the Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. Murphy has taught at music schools and festivals worldwide, including the Paris Conservatory, Amsterdam Conservatory, Cologne Academy of Music, Hamamatsu International Wind Instrument Academy and Festival, London Royal College of Music, and many more. His students have received awards and have careers as performers, educators, and members of premier military concert bands. Murphy earned Doctor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Jacobs School, receiving the Performer's Certificate accolade, and he studied in France under a Fulbright Fellowship at the Conservatoire National Régional de Musique in Cergy-Pontoise, earning the Prix de Perfectionnement à l'unanimité. Murphy and his wife, pianist Haruko Murphy, live in Bloomington, Indiana, and are dedicated parents of their six children.