Described as an “Admirably skilled player” (The News-Gazette), South Georgia based saxophonist WILSON POFFENBERGER is in demand as a soloist, educator, chamber musician and improviser. Wilson is currently Lecturer of Saxophone at 麻豆社 where he teaches applied classical and jazz saxophone, jazz improvisation, woodwind methods, and chamber music.

 

Wilson has performed as a soloist with the Mostly Modern Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, contraBAND Ensemble, Illinois Modern Ensemble, Illinois Wind Symphony, Dana Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown State University Percussion Ensemble, and Hagerstown Municipal Band. He has presented recitals nationally and internationally at conference and festivals such as the Boston New Music Initiative, Cortona Sessions for New Music, XVIII World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia, EMS60 Conference, Splice New Music Festival, International Saxophone Symposium, North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, Duquesne Saxophone Day, the Fondation des Etats-Unis and the Fondation Bierman-Lapotre. Additionally, Wilson has won prizes at the 2020 UI Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, 2020 American Prize Chamber Music Competition, 2019 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, 2020 North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition, 2019 Mostly Modern Festival Concerto Competition, 2019 Krannert Debut Artist Competition, 2017 Enkor International Woodwind and Brass Competition, 2016-2017 Harriet Hale Woolley award, and the 2014 Dana Young Artist competition.

 

A strong advocate for new music, Wilson has premiered and commissioned over 30 new works by composers such as Matthew Aucoin, Annika Socolofsky, Robert Lemay, Étienne Rolin, Badie Khaleghian, Alexis Bacon, Gregory Wanamaker, Carolyn Borcherding, Joel Love, Susanna Hancock, David Biedenbender, Elsie Bae Han, Drew Farrar, and more. He is a founder of the saxophone and viola duo, RE: Duo, whose mission is to engage audiences with innovative programming that blurs the lines between a variety of artistic disciplines. RE: is active in the Boston region presenting community concerts with organizations such the Boston New Music Initiative and New Music Mosaic. RE: duo has been in residence at institutions and festivals such as the Cortona Sessions for New Music, International Saxophone Symposium, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the University of North Texas.

 

Wilson received his D.M.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where his research deals with building a free improvisation resource for classically trained saxophonists. He received his Masters of Music degree from Youngstown State University, Bachelors of Music Education degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with additional study at CRR Boulogne-Billancourt in Paris, France. Wilson performs exclusively on Conn-Selmer instruments and mouthpieces.