For the past several years, Saxophonist Nathan Bogert has been performing in North America, Southeast Asia, and South America as both a soloist and member of various ensembles. Described as “unbelievably stunning” by Sequenza 21 of the Contemporary Classical Music Community, Nathan’s musical endeavors have offered him the opportunity to perform in prestigious venues ranging from the Chautauqua Institute in New York to the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall at the Université Concordia-Loyola in Montreal, Quebec. Currently, Nathan serves as the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.
Nathan began his applied saxophone studies with Mr. Ron Jones of Louisville, Kentucky with whom he studied both classical and jazz saxophone. After graduating from the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville, Kentucky, Nathan continued his saxophone studies with Dr. George Wolfe at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. His teacher, George Wolfe, describes him as, “a deeply expressive performer.” Nathan received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. In 2010, Nathan completed a Master's in Jazz Studies at the same institution. At the University of Iowa, Nathan studied saxophone with Dr. Kenneth Tse.
Nathan has been a featured soloist with the Youth Performing Arts School Wind Ensemble, the Ball State Symphony Orchestra, the Ball State Jazz Lab Ensemble, the University of Iowa Jazz Repertory Ensemble, the University of Iowa’s Johnson County Landmark and the University of Iowa Chamber Orchestra. He has also premiered compositions by American composers Dr. Jody Nagel, Dr. Benjamin Fuhrman, and Dr. Israel Neumann. Nathan participated in the premiere of Nagel’s saxophone quartet composition Star and has also appeared with the Ball State Symphony Orchestra in performing Dr. Nagel’s Sui Generis. Dr. Nagel also wrote a saxophone duet for Nathan entitled Spirals out of Control. With Israel Neumann, Nathan has been working on projects involving interactive improvisation with innovative computer software that is controlled by another performer, but responds instantaneously to the sounds from the saxophone.
In 2007, Nathan was selected as the first ever overall winner of the Yamaha Young Performing Artists competition after performing for an audience of over 3,000 people at Illinois State University’s Braden Auditorium. He was also awarded first place in the Ball State University Concerto Competition and the University of Iowa Concerto Competition. Most recently, Nathan won first prizes in both the 2012 North American Saxophone Alliance classical solo competition (at the Biennial conference at Arizona State University) and the 2012 Music Teachers National Association 2012 young artist competition held in New York City. In 2010, Nathan was awarded 2nd prize in the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) quartet competition as the baritone saxophonist of the Axius Saxophone Quartet. As a member of Axius, he was also awarded 1st prize in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) national chamber music competition and a silver medal at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
As an aspiring saxophonist, Nathan has worked with esteemed saxophonists such as Claude Delangle, Eugene Rousseau, Timothy McAllister, Kenneth Tse, Joseph Wytko, Patrick Meighan, Bill Street, and Jean-Marie Londeix. His passion for jazz has led him to share the stage with jazz artists Wayne Bergeron, Andy Milne, Winnard Harper, Ted Nash, Jimmy Greene, Marcus Printup, Andy Martin, Chuck Findley, Buddy DeFranco, Don Aliquo, Denis DiBlasio, and Carmen Bradford. With his band Groove Theory, Nathan has garnered regional attention as a gifted young jazz saxophonist. Legendary jazz critic Scott Yanow describes Nathan as a “passionate” saxophonist in his review of Cassius Goens III’s album Transition.
Groove Theory will be playing the main stage at the Iowa City SoulFest!