Saxophone Studio
The saxophone studio at the University of Kansas includes undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students pursuing degrees in music education, music therapy, and performance. All students study saxophone with Dr. Geoffrey Landman, work with KU’s internationally recognized music faculty, and perform in top-rated ensembles that prepare you for a modern career in music.
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching is firmly rooted in building and refining strong fundamentals of saxophone playing. Through weekly scales, etudes, and solo repertoire, students work on developing ownership and control of the instrument.
Additionally, I believe it is my role as a teacher to encourage curiosity and critical thinking in one’s own learning process. My own approach to learning music has been hugely influenced by the many wonderful opportunities I’ve had to work directly with composers. This dialogue between performer and composer, though much easier with a living composer, also takes place through the markings in a score, the historical context around a piece, and many other factors that we can explore to inform our musical choices. I strive for my students to develop not only as saxophonists but also as musical scholars. In the words of one of my favorite composers, Luciano Berio, his music is for “virtuosos not only of the fingers, but of the mind.”
Dr. Geoffrey Landman
Geoffrey Landman is a performer, teacher, and advocate of the saxophone and new music. He has performed across North America, Europe, Singapore, Thailand, and in New York City’s most well-known venues including Carnegie Hall, Miller Theatre at Columbia University, The United Nations, Trinity Wall Street, The Morgan Library, and John Zorn’s The Stone.
Dr. Landman serves as the Associate Professor of the Practice in Saxophone at the University of Kansas School of Music where he also teaches the Business of Music class. He previously served on the faculty of the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA. An active recitalist and masterclass clinician, he has been a featured guest artist at many of the premiere music schools in the world including Northwestern University, University of Michigan, Hochschule für Musik Nürnburg (Germany), Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (Singapore), Berklee College of Music, University of Texas, Peabody Conservatory, and Florida State University.
He holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BM), University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM), Post-graduate work at the Hochschule für Musik Basel in Switzerland, and New England Conservatory where he was the first ever DMA in saxophone performance in the school’s history. His principal teachers are Donald Sinta, Marcus Weiss, James Bunte, and Kenneth Radnofsky.
Performance Opportunities
The KU Wind Ensemble (KUWE) has performed in Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and most recently in Milan, Italy at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music. KUWE has recorded multiple CD’s on the Naxos and Klavier labels, received glowing praise from the New York Times, and climbed into the Top 20 on the iTunes Classical Charts. Our Symphonic Band is also first-rate and was selected to perform at Kansas Music Educators Association in 2014 and 2018, and the regional conference of the College Band Directors National Conference in 2022.
In addition to large ensembles, saxophone students can participate in chamber music ensembles including saxophone quartets and the KU Saxophone Ensembles. These chamber ensembles perform on campus and in the Lawrence and Kansas City community.
Why KU?
As a music major at KU, you can pursue a degree in music performance, music education, or music therapy. You can enhance your degree with a Music Enterprise Certificate and/or a Music Recording Certificate. Considering a double major? The newly designed BA in Music is a flexible degree that is designed to be paired with another degree outside of music.
Excellence at the Undergraduate and Graduate levels
The School of Music seeks to nurture the art of music through creation, performance, scholarly inquiry, and entrepreneurship at both the Undergraduate and Graduate levels. Students receive outstanding teaching and mentorship and can participate in high-level performance and research, including opportunities to perform internationally. We are a supportive community of students and faculty and a well-established presence nationally and internationally. Our faculty excel at preparing students for the real world while supporting them throughout their time at KU. The school is a major contributor to the arts community and enjoys excellent facilities in Murphy Hall and the Lied Center of Kansas.
Questions?
Have questions about studying saxophone at KU? Interested in scheduling a trial lesson? Contact Dr. Geoffrey Landman at Geoffrey.Landman@ku.edu.