Who We Are
Who We Are
The Austin Saxophone Ensemble (ASE) was conceived in the Spring of 2013, when a dozen colleagues gathered to read through music and discuss the formation of a standing ensemble. The group consists of professional musicians in the greater Austin area as performers, band directors, teachers, and composers.
Our sound is orchestral, experimental, lush, violent, delicate, expansive, precise, aggressive, sensitive, and everything in between. Our ears and hearts are open to all great music – whether it is the timeless classical warhorses of Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky or inventive and thrilling music written by some of Austin’s greatest living composers. You’ll hear soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass saxophones creating an infinite palette of colors and making its mark on the sonic landscape of Austin and the world of music.
As a city that thrives on high-caliber live music, Austin is the perfect home for this ensemble. ASE creates a new stage for classical saxophone and explores the depths of artistic expression with its audience. Though the saxophone is most frequently associated with jazz, ASE exposes the listener to the full potential of the saxophone without stylistic limitations. With an educational outreach component, music students in the area will have an opportunity to experience the capabilities of the saxophone in performance.
Below, meet and follow our performers. You can also find some of our past virtual and live concerts on the Listen page.
Sopranos
Sopranos
Rami El-Farrah
Dr. Rami El-Farrah is a concert saxophonist best known for his work as a soloist and member of the Zenith Quintet, Bel Cuore Quartet and the Austin Saxophone Ensemble. As an award-winning soloist and chamber musician, Dr. El-Farrah has performed across the United States and throughout Europe. Dr. El-Farrah and has been featured on several musical albums, including albums with Bel Cuore Quartet and Austin Saxophone Ensemble. In addition to concertizing Dr. El-Farrah teaches saxophone & Jazz History at UT San Antonio, where he also leads the university’s saxophone ensemble. He is the author of Dynamic Duos for Saxophone, a best-selling series of duet books with live play-alongs, and owner of MusePub an arrangement and publishing company. He is also a Selmer Center Stage artist.Follow Rami:
Djamel Mami
Board Member
Djamel Mami is an exciting and versatile solo, chamber, and orchestral performer. As a performer he has traveled around the world, playing in Southeast Asia, across Europe, and extensively around the United States and Canada as a soloist, chamber performer and as part of larger groups.
Outside of music, his interests include camping, reading, skiing, rock climbing, and lazy Sundays.
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Jess Voigt-Page
Trained in both Australia and the US, Jessica Voigt-Page has been described by her colleagues as a “tour de force.” Jessica has dedicated the latest part of her career to exploring ways in which young musicians can establish themselves and maximize their impact while leading fulfilling, sustainable lives. This exploration has led her pursue unique paths throughout her career.
Jessica serves on faculty at Baylor University and is President-elect of the North American Saxophone Alliance, founder of Saxophone Academy Austin, and a mentor for a number of young women in the field. She is an artist for Yamaha, D’Addario, Key Leaves, and Beaumont Music.
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Altos
Altos
Dustin Hunter
Dustin Hunter is an active performer and music educator. He regularly freelances, playing all styles of music; contemporary, classical, jazz, funk, latin, and show music. Dustin works with many high school and middle school students teaching private lessons, marching band camps, and giving masterclasses. Noteworthy performances include: featured as a soloist with the Louisiana State University Wind Ensemble, the Cool Winter Nights and Hot Jazz Big Band, and a performance at the 2012 North American Saxophone Alliance Regional Conference. He is also a member of local Austin band, Honey Made. Dustin holds a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Louisiana State University and a Master of Music from the University of New Mexico.
Liz Love
Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, Liz Love is an active classical and jazz saxophonist and music educator. She is currently the Head Band Director at Leander Middle School, where her students have performed at the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention and received honors across the state.
Ms. Love is a founding member of the Austin Saxophone Ensemble and ASEYouth. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Master’s Degree in Saxophone Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. She counts Harvey Pittel, Jerry Junkin, Jeff Hellmer, and Carolyn Barber as her principal mentors. She lives in Cedar Park with her adorably supportive husband, Walter, and enjoys reading and crocheting small animals.
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Olivia Phaneuf
Follow Olivia:
Elizabeth Rosinbum
Board Member
Elizabeth Rosinbum maintains a multi-dimensional career as an educator, performer, clinician, and speaker. She is Adjunct Faculty in Fine Arts at Concordia University and maintains a select private studio. The first ever saxophonist to be hired as a D’Addario Woodwinds Method clinician, Elizabeth has given hundreds of educational masterclasses and supervises other clinicians.
Elizabeth has commissioned and premiered works for saxophone throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. A gifted speaker, she has lectured at several universities on woodwind pedagogy, entrepreneurship, performance psychology, and career strategies and business skills.
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Elyse Vest
Saxophonist Elyse Vest is an international performer and an advocate of new music. Her talents have taken her to performances in London, France, and Iceland. Vest has appeared as a featured soloist with the Hartt School Wind Ensemble and the LSU Orchestra. Vest has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, her most notable performance being with Natalie Cole. As an advocate of new music, Vest commissioned and premiered Dr. Brett William Dietz’s “Heavier Elements” for saxophone soloist and four percussionists. Vest holds a Master of Music degree from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University.
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Tenors
Tenors
Crystal Alexander
Originally from Lexington, Texas, Crystal teaches applied saxophone and is a composer. In 2018, Crystal’s saxophone quartet Code Seis was premiered by the Les Bois Quartet at Texas State University. She has performed as a guest soloist with the Banda de Conciertos de San Jose in Costa Rica, and as part of the Topeka and Round Rock Symphony Orchestras.
Crystal also practices martial arts and volunteers as an assistant instructor at Austin Kung Fu & Tai Chi. Crystal enjoys gardening and has a small zoo of rescued pets: Jaco, BeBe, Miles and Kyoshi.
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Kevin Gibbs
Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree in music performance with emphasis in classical saxophone from The University of Texas at Austin where he studied with world-renowned saxophonist and teacher, Harvey Pittel. While at UT, Kevin performed with the UT Symphony Band, the UT Wind Ensemble, Tex Sax, and the UT Jazz Ensemble. He has played in several rock, jazz, and funk influenced bands in Austin, such as Navin’s Thermos, About:Blank, and Price Hill.
Kevin has been teaching private lessons at schools in Austin, Leander, and Round Rock ISD since 2003. He lives with his wife, Sarah, their twin sons, and their dog, Mattie, in Round Rock.
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Ben Kessler
Financial Director & Board Member
Ben Kessler is an active saxophonist and music educator. He has a large private studio, regularly presents master classes and coaches student chamber ensembles, and was formerly a Lecturer of Saxophone at Texas A&M University – Kingsville. You can find his profile on the Rouse High School Band private lesson faculty here.
Ben has commissioned, premiered, and recorded new works by Dan Welcher, Donald Grantham, Carter Pann, John Mackey, Kevin Puts, Steve Bryant, John Mills, Jack Wilds, Chris Ozley, Michael Mikulka, and David Adams. He has played with the Vintage 15 Big Band, the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, Austin Symphony Orchestra, and Round Top Festival Orchestra. He can also be seen and heard in the film Bandslam.
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Baritones
Baritones
Sunil Gadgil
Board Member
Sunil Gadgil is an active soloist, chamber musician, and teacher devoted to exploring the magic of music and learning with an ever-expanding community of saxophonists. He has been lauded as a “virtuosic” and “effortless” player and frequently appears on stage and records as a member of the Zenith Quintet, the Bel Cuore Quartet, the Austin Saxophone Ensemble, and REVEL Classical Band. He has served as instructor of saxophone at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, executive director of the Austin Saxophone Ensemble, co-director of ASEYouth, and director of Sax Pro Workshops. Dr. Gadgil is a Vandoren Paris and Selmer Paris artist. You can find his profile on New Music USA here.
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Billy McPhail
Executive Director & Board Member
Billy McPhail is a versatile saxophonist who has performed with many distinguished ensembles, including the San Antonio Symphony, Austin Symphony, Nash Hernandez Orchestra, and the University of Texas and Victoria College Wind Ensembles. An active chamber musician, he is a member of The ELISION Quartet, and founding member of both Austin Saxophone Ensemble and BAMF quartet. Billy can be heard on ELISION’s debut recording and ASE’s album “Plunge.”
Billy has arranged and published many works for saxophone solo and ensembles, some available on Musepub. He has served as an instructor for Temple College and maintains a distinguished studio of private students. Billy frequently leads master classes and adjudicates for schools across Texas.
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Michael Hertel
Board Member
Michael Hertel regularly performs throughout Central Texas with ensembles such as The San Antonio Symphony, The Austin Saxophone Ensemble, The Austin Symphony, Bel Cuore Quartet, Zenith Quintet, and Wasabi Big Band. His playing can be heard on Austing Saxophone Ensemble’s debut album Plunge and on the Bel Cuore Quartet album Splashing the Canvas.
Michael lives in Austin with his quilter wife Kim, toddler daughter Zoe, and snuggler dogs Kevin and Lola. When not playing, Michael enjoys running and sampling and brewing local specialty coffees.