Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Wilmington, NC - The University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Music presents internationally acclaimed tenor saxophonist James Houlik in concert at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1 in Kenan Auditorium.

Hailed by the London Daily Mail as "the world's greatest saxophone virtuoso," James Houlik, joined by renowned Armenian pianist Vahan Sargsyan, will present an evening of classical saxophone selections, including Francois Devienne's Adagio and Rondo from Sonata No. 4, Ronald L. Caravan's Solitude & Celebration and Florent Schmitt's Songe de Coppelius among others.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the UNCW Kenan Auditorium Box Office at (910) 962-3500 or the UNCW Department of Music at (910) 962-7416.

For more information about upcoming events presented by the UNCW Department of Music please visit www.uncw.edu/music.

Media Contact: Courtney Reilly, UNCW Office of Cultural Arts, (p) 910.962.2082 or (e) reillyce@uncw.edu

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Artist Bios
James Houlik has been critically acclaimed around the world as the preeminent performer on his instrument. He has introduced the unexpected beauty of his instrument wherever open ears seek a refreshing new voice, leading the Washington Post to proclaim him "The Andres Segovia of the Tenor Saxophone." The wild enthusiasm surrounding Houlik's Carnegie Hall debut brought about a second New York solo recital in Lincoln Center's Tully Hall on the occasion of the birthday of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone. Houlik performs with many of the world's great orchestras, and most often performing music that has been composed for him by such composers as Morton Gould, Robert Ward, Russell Peck, Eric Ewazen, and many more. His recordings of both recital literature and concertos have helped to set a new standard of saxophone performance, prompting the London Daily Mail to recognize him as "The World's Great Saxophone Virtuoso." He has performed for President Clinton in the East Room of the White House, in the major music capitals of the world, including performances this season in Brazil, China, Germany, and Italy. Houlik is Professor of Saxoophone at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and is an artist/clinician for the Selmer Company.

Vahan Sargsyan was born into a musical family in Yerevan, Armenia. He began his piano studies with the "Honored Teacher of Armenia" Elza Tandilyan. He later continued his studies at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatoire studying with his father Willy Sargsyan, a renowned pianist and teacher. In 1991, Mr. Sargsyan was named a winner of the International Piano Competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has twice been selected as a winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Competition. Sargsyan has performed as recitalist and collaborative pianist in Armenia, Russia, Italy, Austria, Argentina, Brazil and the USA. He has appeared as soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. Sargsyan serves as pianist at Carnegie Mellon University and for the Children's Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh.