Chant Du Saxophone

Enjoy the lush and mysterious sounds of French music performed by an exciting yet subtle chamber duo.

This concert explores a diverse range of repertoire from household names such as Claude Debussy to lesser known composers such as Paul Bonneau and Paule Maurice. Hear the many moods timbres of the saxophone, from delicately soaring melodies, to dark, enchanting arias and joyful, raucous moments.


Programme:
Francis Poulenc - Flute Sonata FP164
Eugene Bozza - Aria
Claude Debussy - Petite Suite (transcribed by Yukio Nakano)
Paul Bonneau - Caprice en Frome de Valse
Paule Maurice - Tableaux de Provence


About the performers:

Alex Trask is a saxophonist based in Pōneke. He has a keen interest in the classical saxophone and has studied with some of New Zealand's leading player such as Simon Brew and Reuben Chin. He is a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band and has performed with many other significant organizations such as Gallery Orchestra, Saxcess, Wellington Youth Orchestra, and Wellington City Symphonic Band.

Alex is also an accomplished jazz player, and has organized many events both in Wellington and nationally, performing in the Wellington Jazz Festival and the National Jazz Festival many times. Alex was the lead alto saxophone player in the Rodger Fox Big Band from 2024-2025 and has performed as a guest with that band since 2022. His debut album 'Pool of Tears’, which blends folk and classical melodies with jazz performance techniques, was released on Thelonious Records in 2023 and has been featured on RNZ Concert as well as other prominent radio stations.

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David Codd is a New Zealand-born horn player and pianist. Originally from New Plymouth, New Zealand, David undertook a Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance—Collaborative Piano under Dr Jian Liu at Victoria University of Wellington, as well as secondary studies in French horn with Samuel Jacobs and Sebastian Dunn.

David maintains a busy schedule of performances as a horn player, pianist, and conductor. As well as being a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band horn section, David performs with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, Auckland Philharmonia, and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra.

As a pianist, David has a particular passion for collaborative work, enjoying performing with artists from NZSO and Orchestra Wellington, as well as orchestral keyboard for NZSO and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra.