Doug O'Connor

Praised for his “seamless technique” and “sumptuous lyricism” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), saxophonist Doug O’Connor is passionate about sharing music that challenges audiences to explore, connect, and grow. His athletic performances feature music from all eras and in many styles, including classical, contemporary, jazz, and electronic. He strives to champion new works, present adventurous and innovative chamber music, and perform with an improvisatory command of music from Bach to Coltrane. Starting in the Fall of 2023, he is thrilled to serve as Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. O’Connor honed his artistic mission while performing on the Astral Artists roster from 2003 to 2013 and completing his training at the Eastman School of Music, where he earned his MM and DMA degrees in 2008 and 2012, and eventually went on to serve as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Saxophone in the fall of 2017. In addition, he served as Associate Lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, as a saxophonist with the United States Naval Academy Band, and since 2016 as a saxophonist with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” (TUSAB). He is proud to play alto saxophone with the acclaimed Project Fusion Saxophone Quartet. Dr. O’Connor recently released a collaborative album on the Innova label with composer Dr. Baljinder Sekhon, “Alchemy”, a compendium of a decade of output from their composer-performer partnership. He has performed as a concerto soloist at the 2014 and 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conferences, at the World Saxophone Congress XV in Bangkok, and with the National Symphony Orchestra. He was the 2nd Prize winner of the 2008 International Jean-Marie Londeix Saxophone Competition in Bangkok, and the winner of many other prizes including the 2004 National Symphony Orchestra Young Soloists Competition and was a finalist for the Concert Artists Guild competition in 2009.