SFA saxophone students chosen to compete
March 8, 2012
Four SFA saxophone students will compete against other top quartets and/or soloists at the North American Saxophone Alliance competitions in Tempe, Ariz. March 15 through 18. Pictured, from left, are Brownsville graduate student Robert Palermo; Lufkin graduate student Matt Mahaffey; Lake Mary, Fla., senior Elena Pedersen; and Harker Heights graduate student Alvin Eclavea.
Graduate students Alvin Eclavea of Harker Heights, Matt Mahaffey of Lufkin, Robert Palermo of Brownsville, and senior Elena Pedersen of Lake Mary, Fla., will compete against 19 other quartets from across the nation for a total of $4,800 in cash prizes and an opportunity to perform in the winner's recital at the conference.
The Amaranthine Saxophone Quartet, as the group calls themselves, was chosen from the 49 quartets who initially entered the competition via recorded audio auditions.
Palermo and Pedersen will also be vying as soloists in the Classical Saxophone Competition as two of the 20 students chosen from 89 national competitors. The top three winners will receive a total of $3,250.
The students all study under Dr. Nathan Nabb, SFA associate professor of saxophone.