Anders Lundegård
Anders Lundegård is a Swedish classical saxophonist based in the Washington D.C. metro area, known for his unique, cello-like tone and intense performance style. Lundegård was born in Växjö, Sweden, and made his debut as both soloist and broadcast performer at seventeen during a youth artist festival in Stockholm. He earned his undergraduate degree as a student of Christer Johnsson at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, whereupon he received both a Fulbright and a Sweden – America Foundation award to continue his studies abroad. Lundegård completed his Master’s, Certificate of Performance and Doctoral degrees at Northwestern University, studying under the renowned saxophonist Frederick Hemke.
During this time he was the recipient of three awards, toured with the Swedish chamber orchestra Musica Vitæ, had several works dedicated to him, and won the Northwestern Solo Concerto Competition, performing the subject of his dissertation [1]: the Lars-Erik Larsson Saxophone Concerto.
Lundegård has taught and toured extensively in Scandinavia and America, performing contemporary chamber, Baroque transcriptions and Classical concerti. As a young musician, he claims to have been inspired by an anecdote from the saxophone’s early experimental stages (1850s). During an informal visit to the Belgian inventor, Adolph Sax’s, sweatshop, the Italian composer Rossini proclaimed the sound of the new instrument as “the most tender and pleasing he had ever heard.” Lundegård professed goal is to capture this "original sound," and he is particularly known for his solo recitals on alto and soprano sax, which include Bach Cello Suites (played at the original pitch) as well as Lundegård’s own compositions.
Performances and recordings
Lundegård's recent performances incorporate transcriptions of classical standard repertoire originally composed for strings and clarinet, as well as newly commissioned works. His performances of Astor Piazolla[2] and Bach[3] have been widely praised, as well as his premieres of new works by Belgian and American composers.[4] He toured Sweden in 2006 and performed for the U.S. State Department and the French Embassy in 2007, among others. His solo performances of Bach can be heard on the CD Absolute Bach (swedishpoet productions, 2003).
References
1. Background and Emergence of the Swedish Saxophone Concerto, Lars-Erik Larsson, Op.14 (DMA diss., Northwestern University, 1995)
2. "Fabian Faccio, Argentine pianist, and Anders Lundegård, Swedish classical saxophonist, presented a rousing and fiery all-Piazzolla tango performance, blending together seamlessly." The State Magazine (Washington, D.C., June 2005), p. 22.
3. " The [Partita in a minor for flute by J.S. Bach ] work was performed in a stylistically accurate way with correct melodic shape, nuances and phrasing, à la Baroque. Anders managed to create something one calls “hidden counterpoint,” an old trick that involves the soloist handing his instrument in a specific way, manages to get the audience to perceive two separate melodies instead of one....." Ladis Miller, Smålandsposten (August 12, 2005), Sweden
4. "To a sold out house at the Washington Musica Viva studio in Kensington, Maryland, Carl Banner (pianist) and Anders Lundegard (soprano saxophone) presented three engaging premiere compositions. ....Lundegard and Banner’s performance fit hand-in-glove." Karren L. Alenier, poet, librettist and president of The Word Works.
External Links
Classicalsaxophonist.com, the performer/composer's home page.
International Directory of Concert Artist entry
iwakami's Fantastic Classical Sax database (in Japanese)
North American Saxophone Alliance dissertation registry