For his debut recording, Jonathan Radford pays homage to the American saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft, a hugely virtuosic musician who arguably secured the future of the saxophone in the 1920s and 30s.
Together with pianist Ashley Fripp, saxophonist Jonathan Radford brings together several Wiedoeft compositions, pairing them with works that were written for or included saxophone in their original orchestrations. The music featured on this album has helped shape the instrument into what it has become today: "It is my hope that this album will pay homage to an important icon from the Roaring Twenties, whilst celebrating the diverse nature of the saxophone across genres" (Jonathan Radford).
Saxophonist Jonathan Radford is passionate about showcasing the instrument's versatility across the classical and contemporary repertoire. He studied at Chetham's School of Music (UK), before entering the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris (CNSM) in the class of Claude Delangle. He was the 2018 Mills William Junior Fellow at the Royal College of Music, studying with Kyle Horch, and his doctoral studies at the Royal College of Music centred on researching American saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft.
Jonathan is an international prize-winner, with notable awards including Commonwealth Musician of the Year and Gold Medallist in the Royal Overseas League Competition (UK, 2018), SaxOpen International Competition (France, 2015) and Concordo Internazionale de Musica Marco (Italiy, 2013). Performance highlights include recitals at Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, Bridgewater Hall (Manchester), Seoul Arts Centre (South Korea), Grieg Hall (Bergen), and Philharmonie de Paris.