From Baroque to Modern the Fairfax Saxophone Quartet demonstrates the amazing versatility of the saxophone. The FSQ performs a wide variety of musical styles, including contemporary arrangements of popular music, Broadway hits, Jazz, Latin, Ragtime, Rock, and timeless arrangements of classical favorites. The FSQ plays year-round as ambassadors of good will for the highly acclaimed City of Fairfax Band.
Now in our thirty-ninth year, the FSQ has performed for audiences throughout the Washington, D.C. area, and even beyond. Engagements have included: an appearance at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage; the Kennedy Center Annual Fall Open House gala; 32nd , 36th , and 38th International Saxophone Symposiums; Barnes and Nobel Book stores; City of Alexandria “Lunch Bunch” and “Holiday” concerts; City of Fairfax Veterans Memorial Amphitheater Summer Concert series, the Fairfax Fall Festival and “Spotlight on the Arts” at the Old Town Hall and Sherwood Center in Fairfax City; Fairfax County Park Authority “Summer in the Park” series; the Freshman Center of George Mason University; the Herndon Train Station Town Hall Square; the Old Post Office Pavilion and Dupont Circle Festival of Music and Garden in Washington, D.C.; Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Museum; the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria; the Virginia Municipal League Conference at Tysons II; the Filene Center at Wolf Trap; Our Daily Bread “Empty Bowls” Charity; Bonita Lestina Performance Series; area retirement and care centers; and as featured soloists with the City of Fairfax Band.
The FSQ has premiered sixteen new works or arrangements for the saxophone quartet, including: Amazing Grace, Pachelbel’s Dilemma, Sonatina for Saxophone Quartet, ‘Till You Come Back Home, Twelve-Tone Prelude and Fugue, and Turkey In The Woodshed by Michael Frank Francis; Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Rachmaninoff’s Prelude Op.3 No. 2, and A.J. Weidt’s Dat Yam Rag, arranged by Michael Frank Francis; Elegy for Saxophone Quartet by Nick M. Mavrakis and arranged by Michael Frank Francis; Suite for Saxophone Quartet by David Berkenbilt; Double Fugue In C Major by Lee Larsen; and A Day at the Park by David M. Rubenstein; In addition, nearly one hundred pieces of various composers have been arranged for the FSQ by our own James Francis. They include: Louis Ottschalk’s Morte!, Danza, Souvenir De Porto Rico, and Suis Moi! Caprice; Gershwin’s Lullaby; Danza Espanola No. 6 by Enrique Granados; The Bells of St. Genevieve by Marin Marais; Quintet in Eb Major, K.452 for Piano and Saxophone Quartet by Mozart; Quintet in Eb Major , Op. 16 for Piano and Saxophone Quartet by Beethoven, and Quintet in Bb Major for Piano and Saxophone Quartet by Rimsky-Korsakov; the Mozart String Quartet in G Major, K,387 (dedicated to Haydn); the Visions of America String Quartets by Martin Yates – L.A. Beach Music, New York Night Music, ‘Frisco Bay Music, and Nashville – Tennessee; Images by Rob Landes; Greek Suite for Saxophone Quartet by Greek composer Marilena Zlatanou; and, A Cool Wind, by New Zealand composer John Psathas.. A current project of Mr. Francis is to arrange all of Mozart’s string quartets for saxophone quartet – ten have already been premiered.
The FSQ members include: James Francis, Soprano Saxophone – founder and leader of the FSQ; Marshall Wise, Alto Saxophone; Brian Cole, Tenor Saxophone; Carey Johnston, Baritone Saxophone.
Booking Information:
For booking information please contact Jim Francis at jffrancis@aol.com