Created by Robert Faub, Assistant Professor of Saxophone,
Crane School
(1990-1997). Compiled by Andrew Stoker, John Jeanneret,
Rebecca Blow &
Jay Metcalf, Spring 1996. Used by permission of
Robert Faub.
*Contributions to Timeline by Tim McAllister,
Assistant Professor of Saxophone, Crane School (1997- ). With
permission of Robert Faub.
1814 - Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax born 6 November, Dinant, Belgium, studies instrument-making with his father, Charles-Joseph (1791-1865)
1834 - Adolphe Sax perfects bass-clarinet design; *improves keywork and construction
1842 - Sax arrives in Paris
1842 - 12 June--Sax's close friend Hector Berlioz writes article in Paris magazine Journal des Debats describing Sax's newest invention--the saxophone
1844 - 3 February--Berlioz conducts concert which features an arrangement of his choral work Chant Sacre which includes saxophone
1844 - December--Saxophone makes its orchestral debut in Georges Kastner's opera Last King of Juda; Paris Conservatory
1845 - Sax re-tools military band by replacing oboe, bassoons, and french horns with saxhorns in Bb and Eb, producing a more homogenous sound, his idea is a success
1845 - Georges Kastner--Variations Faciles et Brillante for solo saxophone; Sextour for 2 soprano, alto, bass and contrabass saxophones
1846 - Sax granted patent for saxophone
1847 - 14 February--Saxophone school set up at "Gymnase Musical"--a military band school in Paris
1858 - Sax becomes Professor of Saxophone at Paris Conservatory
1858 - Jean-Baptiste Singelee (b. Brussels 1812-d. Ostend 1875)--writes first two Paris Conservatory contest solos; Concerto (sop./ten.), Fantaisie (bari.)
1861 - Wagner, in lieu of 12 French Horns, uses saxophones and saxhorns in the orchestra pit at the premiere of his opera Tannhauser
1862 - Jules Demerssemann (b. Belgium 1833, d. Paris 1866)--Fantaisie sur un Theme Originale (ded. to Henri Wuille, alto)
1866 - Sax patent expires--Millereau Co. patents Saxophone-Millereau, which features a forked F# key
1867 - Nazaire Beeckman becomes Professor of Saxophone at Brussels Conservatory
1868 - Gautrot, Pierre Louis & Co.--devises screw-in pad system and mechanism inside pad cup to keep outside of pad flat
1871 - Gustav Poncelet becomes Professor of Saxophone at Brussels Conservatory after Beeckman
1875 - Goumas--patented saxophone with fingering system similar to Boehm system clarinet
1877 - Hyacinthe Klose--Methode Complete de Saxophone ; Klose--Methode Elementaire (alto/tenor)
1879 - Klose--Methode Elementaire (baritone) Georges Bizet--L'Arlesienne Suites No. 1&2
1881 - Klose--Methode Elementaire (sop.)
1881 - Jules Massenet--Herodiade
1881 - Sax extends his original patent--lengthens bell to include low Bb and A; also extends upward range to F# and G with use of fourth octave key
1885 - First saxophone built in U.S. from Sax patent by Gus Buescher
1886 - Association Des Ouvriers--devise right hand C trill key, and a half-tone system for first fingers of left and right hands
1887 - Association Des Ouvriers--invent tuning ring, and precursor of articulated G# Evette and Schaeffer--improve on articulated G# so that G# key can be held down while any finger of the right hand is being used, improved forked F#, invented "bis" key, added low Bb
1888 - Lecomte--invents single octave key, rollers for low Eb-C
1892 - Jules Massenet--Werther
1894 - Sax dies
1896 - Eugene Coffin plays on earliest Columbia saxophone recordings
1897 - Creation of Storyville
1901 - 29 January, Charles Loeffler's Divertisment espanol is premiered by Elise Hall in Boston's Copley Hall (first work commissioned by E. Hall)
1901 - Elise Hall commissions Claude Debussy to write saxophone work
1903 - Symphonia Domestica by Richard Strauss. Score includes saxophones keyed in F & C: sopr., alto (mezzo), bari., bass. *Part now exists as obbligato section for instruments keyed in Bb and Eb.
1903 - Elise Hall commissions Choral Varie by Vincent d'Indy
1904 - 4 January, premiere of Choral Varie by E. Hall in Copley Hall, Boston
1904 - 21 March, World Premiere of Richard Strauss' Symphonia Domestica in Carnegie Hall, New York City
1906 - 2 January, Elise Hall premieres Legend for saxophone and orchestra by Georges Sprok
1908 - Paul de Ville's Universal Method for saxophone first published by Carl Fischer
1911 - Henri Woollett's Siberia - Poeme Symphonique is premiered by Elise Hall
1911 - Tom Brown and the Brown Brothers saxophone sextet popularize saxophone with American public with recordings of such songs as: Bullfrog Blues, Chicken Walk, et.al.
1914 - Rudy Wiedoeft makes his first saxophone record
1916 - Charles Ives writes saxophone part in Symphony No. 4 (premiere of work is much later)
1917 - *Bela Bartok's The Wooden Prince is premiered; score includes alto and tenor saxes
1917 - Benjamin Vereecken's Foundation of Saxophone Playing published by Carl Fischer
1918 - Percy Grainger uses saxophone for the first time in Children's March (sopr. alto, tenor, bari., and bass)
1919 - *11 March, premiere of Debussy's Rapsodie Yves Mayeur, soloist
1922 - Saxophone used in Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition
1923 - Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin (2 altos, tenor)
1923 - Darius Milhaud writes for saxophone in Le creation du monde
1924 - Elise Hall dies
1926 - Puccini's Turandot includes saxophone part in score
1926 - 31 January, first performance of serious saxophone literature in New York City's Aeolian Hall by Jascha Gurewich (1896-1938)
1927 - Ravel uses saxophone in his Bolero (sopranissimo, soprano, tenor)
1927 - Job by Ralph Vaughan Williams (alto)
1928 - An American in Paris by George Gershwin (alto, tenor, bari)
1928 - Symphony No. 1 Aaron Copland (alto)
1928 - Marcel Mule establishes quartet along with members of the Garde Republicaine de Paris
1929 - Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933) composes 25 Caprices for Saxophone
1932 - Harvey Pittel is born on June 22
1932 - Eugene Rousseau is born in Blue Island, Illinois on August 23
1932 - Jean-Marie Londeix is born in Libourne, France on September 20
1933 - *Marcel Mule premieres Legend by Florent Schmitt (written for Elise Hall)
1935 - Frederick Hemke is born on July 11
1935 - Marcel Mule premieres Pierre Vellones' Concerto in November 16
1935 - Sigurd Rascher premieres (in entirety) Concertino da Camera by Jacques Ibert on December 11
1936 - Eugene Bozza composes Aria for alto saxophone
1937 - Cecil Leeson gives first performance of the Glazunov Concerto on February 5
1937 - Larry Teal premieres the Bernhard Heiden Sonata on April 8
1937 - Donald Sinta is born in Detroit, MI on June 16
1937 - James M. Stoltie born in Galesburg, Ill. on July 10
1938 - Jascha Gurewich dies (known as composer of various saxophone works)
1939 - Jamey Aebersold is born on July 21 (known as a jazz pedagogue and influential to jazz saxophone practice techniques, as well as other instruments)
1939 - Arnold Brillhart begins design and production of mouthpieces (also known as jazz saxophonist)
1939 - Paul Creston (*Joseph Guttovegio) composes Sonata for Cecil Leesson
1939 - Paul Hindemith composes Sonata (adapted by composer for alto sax & piano)
1940 - Saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft dies in Queens, NY on February 18
1941 - Top Tones, by Sigurd Rascher is released as a study to saxophone altissimo register
1942 - Stan Getz (1927-1991) begins playing as a professional saxophonist
1942 - Classical Tenor saxophonist pioneer James Houlik is born in Bay Shore, NY on December 4
1942 - Pierre Lantier composes Andante et Scherzetto for saxophone quartet
1942 - Marcel Mule is appointed Professor of Saxophone at the Paris Conservatory
1943 - 18 Berbiguier Exercises is published by Mule
1944 - Eugene Bozza publishes Improvisation et Caprice for solo saxophone (used of different instruments previously)
1946 - 48 Ferling Etudes is reissued through Marcel Mule
1948 - Japanese saxophonist and composer Ryo Noda is born in Amagasaki, Japan on October 17
1948 - Heitor Villa-Lobos composes Fantasia Op. 630 for Marcel Mule
1949 - Jazz saxophonists Gerry Mulligan and Lee Konitz are released along with other artists on Miles Davis' album Birth of the Cool
1950 - Lynn Klock, Prof at Univ. of Mass. Amherst, is born on August 12
1951 - Rueff Concerto is premiered in the Solos de Concours in Paris
1953 - Daniel Deffayet debuts as saxophone soloist (succeeds Mule at the Paris Conservatory in 1968)
1953 - Larry Teal is appointed Professor of Saxophone at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor *becoming the first American public university, tenure-track appointment; founds doctoral program
1954 - The Selmer Mark VI Saxophone begins to be produced
1955 - Charlie "Bird" Parker dies in New York City on March 12
1956 - Alfred Desenclos composes Prelude, Cadence et Finale for the Paris Solos de Concours
1956 - *Dubois Quatour
1956 - Frederick Hemke is first American saxophonist to win Premiere Prix de Saxophone at the Paris Conservatory
1956 - Laura Hunter is born June 13 (student of Donald Sinta and J.M. Londeix)
1957 - Saxophone Colossus released by jazz tenor man Sonny Rollins
1958 - John Coltrane is jazz tenor saxophonist and quartet leader on the album, Giant Steps
1958 - Erland von Koch composes Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra for Sigurd Rascher
1959 - "Take Five" a Paul Desmond composition is released on the album featuring the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out
1959 - Paule Maurice composes Tableaux de Provence
1959 - Jazz tenor legend Lester Young dies in New York on March 15
1960 - Joseph Lulloff, prof of sax at Michigan State University, is born
1961 - Percy Grainger dies, February 2
1961 - Walter Hartley's Petite Suite written for Hemke
1962 - Eugene Rousseau studies with Marcel Mule
1963 - The Art of Saxophone Playing is published by Larry Teal
1963 - Fred Hemke is appointed to Northwestern Univ. staff
1964 - John Coltrane's A Love Supreme issued
1967 - Coltrane dies, July 17
1967 - DiPasquale Sonata is published for Tenor Sax (Southern Music)
1967 - Hartley writes and publishes Poem and Sonatina for James Houlik
1968 - Mule retires from Paris Conservatory, Deffayet takes over
1968 - Leslie Bassett's Music for Alto Saxophone and Piano is published (Peters)
1968 - Saxophonist James Stoltie hired at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music
1969 - Rascher Quartet is formed - Sigurd and Carina Rascher, Bruce Weinberger and Linda Bangs
1969 - M.W. Karlins Music for Tenor Saxophone is written for Hemke
1969 - Heiden Solo written for Rousseau
1969 - May 19, Coleman Hawkins dies
1969 - December - 1st World Saxophone Congress Meeting, Chicago; organized by Brodie/Rousseau; *Donald Sinta elected Chairman
1970 - December - Trent Kynaston (prof of sax at Western Mich. Univ.) premieres Muczynki's Sonata Op. 29
1970 - 2nd World Saxophone Congress Meeting, Chicago
*1970 - Edison Denisov writes Sonata for J.M. Londeix
1971 - Rosemary Lang altissimo studies published
1971 - Noda Improvisation I written for Londeix
1971 - Saxophone Concertos (Eugene Rousseau) record issued on Deutches Grammophon; reissued in CD 1998
1971 - 3rd WSC Meeting in Toronto
1972 - Daily Studies Teal
1973 - Nov. 8, Harvey Pittel makes Carnegie Hall debut
1973 - Fourth WSC Meeting in Bordeaux, France
1974 - Larry Teal retires from the University of Michigan, Donald Sinta takes over
1974 - *Ross Lee Finney composes Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra of wind instruments for Teal's retirement. Premiered by Sinta
1975 - Milhaud dies
1975 - Cannonball Adderly dies
1976 - Mark VII introduced with standard high F# key
1976 - Selmer's square-chamber mouthpieces marketed
1977 - 30 May, Desmond dies
1977 - Rascher's last performance
1978 - Houlik makes Carnegie Hall debut
1978 - *Lynn Klock makes Carnegie Hall debut
1978 - Merle Johnston (b. 1897 Watertown, NY) dies (revolutionized pedagogy in the US)
1979 - James Forger premieres John Anthony Lennon's Distances Within Me
1980 - Yamaha introduces 62 series
1980 - *Laura Hunter makes Carnegie Hall debut
1981 - Selmer S80 introduced
1981 - Kynaston premieres Muczynki's Concerto op. 41
1981 - Rascher retires
1981 - Houlik performs in Alice Tully Hall
1982 - Claude Delangle becomes Professor at the CNRM at Boulogne-Billancourt
1982 - Saxophone Sinfonia appears in Alice Tully Hall (D. Bilger, dir.)
1982 - 7th WSC in Nuremburg, Germany
1983 - *Amercian saxophonist Steven Jordheim wins Silver Medal (top prize) at the Geneva International Competition
1984 - William Albright Sonata written for Wytko, Sinta, and Hunter
1984 - Larry Teal dies
1984 - *John Harle makes Carnegie Hall debut
1985 - *Paul Creston dies
1985 - Joe Lulloff makes Carnegie Hall debut
1985 - Laura Hunter premieres Albright Sonata
1986 - Selmer S80 Series II introduced
1987 - *Kenneth Radnofsky premieres Donald Martino's Concerto in New Hampshire
1988 - *Claude Delangle becomes Professor of Saxophone at the Paris Conservatory
1988 - *John Sampen premieres Morton Subotnick's In Two Worlds in London
1991 - Stan Getz dies
1993 - *Timothy McAllister and Donell Synder share 1st Prize in the NASA Young Artist Competition, Fairfax, VA
1994 - *Taimur Sullivan wins 1st Prize in the NASA Young Artist Competition, Morgantown, WV
1995 - Londeix performs farewell concert