First Name
Dan

Last Name
Graser

Title
Saxophone, Professor/Associate Department Chair

Email
[email protected]

Office Phone
616-331-2943

Office Location
1226 HCPA

Website
www.gvsu-saxophone.com

Biography
Described by The Saxophonist Magazine as being "in rarefied air possessing world-class musicianship and super-human technique," Dan Graser is one of the most active performers and pedagogues of his generation. A recipient of the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, Dan served as Teaching Assistant to legendary saxophone pedagogue Donald Sinta having completed undergraduate work in performance and music history/theory with saxophone virtuoso Timothy McAllister at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. As soprano chair of the world-renowned Sinta Quartet, Dan has been featured internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. SQ are among the most successful ensembles on the chamber music competition circuit having received the Gold Medal of the Fischoff Chamber Competition, 1st Prize of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition (the first time awarded to a saxophone group), 1st Prize in the M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition, the Alice Coleman Grand Prize at the Coleman Competition and 1st Prize at the North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition. SQ have performed throughout the world, and were the featured soloists with the Michigan Symphony Band during an historic tour through China. In addition to performing great string quartet works and saxophone standards, SQ sponsor an annual composition competition for young emerging composers. This competition has generated the premieres of dozens of new works for saxophone quartet. General Arts Touring manages SQ internationally. Their recordings can be heard on the CAG and Bright Shiny Things labels. www.sintaquartet.com As a soloist, Dan has been featured with the GVSU Symphony Orchestra, GVSU Concert Band, University of Michigan Symphony Band, Oakland Wind Symphony, Crane Wind Ensemble, South Oakland Concert Band and in recital at the Kennedy Center as part of the Millennium Stage series. As an orchestral performer, Dan has performed on numerous occasions with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin. For several years Dan was the saxophonist with the New World Symphony in Miami under Michael Tilson Thomas, Teddy Abrams, John Adams, and J.D. Gersen, and performed several chamber works, premieres, and large orchestral works with that prestigious group. Dan has also performed as saxophonist with the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Royal Oaks Symphony, as well as the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra. A highly sought-after pedagogue, Dan is the author of the Chops series of method books, which are now in use by thousands of saxophonists throughout the world in both the jazz and classical realms. Dan has given master class performances and clinics at numerous schools throughout the world including the Paris Conservatory, Shanghai Conservatory, Beijing Central Conservatory, China Conservatory, Versailles Conservatory, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina Greensboro, West Virginia University, and Oakland University. Dan has also held teaching positions at Oakland University, Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts, and the Expressions Music Academy. For more information about the GVSU saxophone studio please visit: www.gvsu-saxophone.com Dan is a Selmer Paris artist and performs on Selmer Saxophones exclusively.