APSU Saxophone Day 2025
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Music and Mass Communication Building
Join us for a fun day full of saxophone at APSU! Participants will have the opportunity to rehearse and perform in a saxophone ensemble, attend a saxophone fundamentals clinic, and see our esteemed guest artists, ~Nois saxophone quartet present a masterclass and concert. .
Registration
$13 includes lunch and participation in all of the day's activities. Registration is intended for high school saxophonists through adults. Advanced middle school saxophonists are also welcome to register. Register at .
Schedule
| 8:30-9:00 | Check-In: lobby of Music/Mass Communication Bldg. |
| 9:00-10:20 | Community Saxophone Ensemble with Dr. Hopkins |
| 10:25-11:50 | Guest Artist Masterclass with ~Nois Quartet |
| 11:50-12:50 | Lunch (included with registration) |
| 12:50-1:50 | Saxophone Fundamentals Clinic with Dr. Hopkins |
| 1:55-2:35 | Sax Ensemble rehearsal / APSU Sax Ensemble Performance |
| 3:00-4:30 | Concert in Mabry Concert Hall |
As a performer, Dr. Hopkins has presented guest recitals and masterclasses at various universities, appeared as a concerto soloist with the Oakland Symphony, and has performed with various orchestras including the New World Symphony and the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra. Additionally, as the bass saxophonist of The Moanin’ Frogs Saxophone Sextet, Hopkins frequently performs across the country for various concert series and engages in educational outreach with students of all ages.
Dr. Hopkins holds a DMA from the University of Colorado and additional graduate degrees from the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. His primary teachers include Timothy McAllister, Eugene Rousseau, Tom Myer, and Andrew Bishop. Lucas is an endorsing artist for Conn-Selmer and D’Addario Woodwinds. Dr. Hopkins currently teaches saxophone at Austin Peay State University and has also served on the faculties of Tennessee State University, Murray State University and University of Colorado.
Take your preconceived notions of ‘noise’ and toss them out the window. Equal parts “fiendishly good and fiendishly goofy” (Chicago Tribune), ~Nois is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet dedicated to connecting with diverse audiences through the creation of new work. Since its founding in 2016, “~Nois continues to legitimize the saxophone quartet as a premier ensemble formation for classical music” (Brutal New Music) through commissioning repertoire that is thought-provoking, engaging, and honestly just really good, by some of today's most inspiring compositional voices.
Hailed as “technically superb and musically brilliant” (Cleveland Classical) the ensemble has been awarded top prizes at numerous prestigious chamber music competitions including the M-Prize International Arts Competition, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and have presented over 130 performances spanning 24 states. With more than 100 world premieres to date, the members of ~Nois have had the privilege of working closely with some of the world’s leading voices in composition including Nico Muhly, Augusta Read Thomas, Shelley Washington, among others.
~Nois’ recorded output boasts a wide variety of genres and styles, including their debut album “Is This ~Nois”, which was heralded as “fresh and intense” (The Whole Note) The group’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “Kinds of ~Nois”, was released in March of 2024 on the label Bright Shiny Things, in collaboration with the composer collective Kinds of Kings and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart.
~Nois is János Csontos (he/him), Jordan Lulloff (he/him), Natalia Warthen (she/her),
and Julian Velasco (he/him). For more information, please visit
