DOUG O’CONNOR

Saxophonist and educator Doug O’Connor is a co-founder of the Global Premiere project, in addition to being a participating performer, web developer, and avid new music supporter. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance as well as a Certificate of Arts Leadership at the Eastman School of Music from the Eastman School of Music. He recently served as Associate Lecturer of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, as saxophonist with the United States Naval Academy Band, as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music, and is currently employed as ceremonial saxophonist with the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own.”

Praised for his “seamless technique” and “sumptuous lyricism” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), saxophonist Doug O’Connor has performed across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. He is a winner of various competitions, including Astral Artists’ 2003 National Auditions, and is particularly passionate about chamber music. He was soprano saxophonist in the Red Line Saxophone Quartet, which has released a CD on iTunes, “Back Burner.” As a jazz artist, Dr. O’Connor freelances throughout the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area and recently toured with the Airmen of Note at the Lionel Hampton and Missouri State Jazz festivals on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet.

BALJINDER SEKHON

Composer and percussionist Baljinder Sekhon is a co-founder of the Global Premiere project, in addition to being its inaugural commission composer. “Clearly knowing the power of sonority” (Philadelphia Inquirer), the music of Baljinder Sekhon has been presented in over 500 concerts in twenty countries. From works for large ensemble to solo works to electronic music, Sekhon’s demonstrate a wide range of interests and styles. Sekhon’s compositions for saxophone and percussion instruments are widely recognized as pioneering work in those genres with numerous presentations, CD recordings, and guest lecture appearances.

Sekhon serves as Assistant Professor of Composition at the University of South Florida where he received a 2017 Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher award, he and holds the PhD and MA from the Eastman School of Music where he is a three-time recipient of the Howard Hanson Orchestral prize and served as president of the highly acclaimed OSSIA New Music Ensemble. Sekhon also holds a BM from the University of South Carolina. Additional honors include the Wayne Brewster Barlow Prize, New Music USA’s Composer Assistance Grant, Audio Inversions, Percussive Arts Society Composition Competition, Brian M. Israel Prize, Boehmler Foundation Commission, Met Life Creative Connections Grant, Belle Gitelman Prize, Barbara B. Smith Prize, multiple awards from ASCAP including the Morton Gould Young Composer Award (2006), and he was named the MTNA/FSMTA Commissioned Composer of 2012. His numerous appearances as a percussionist include those at the L.A. Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella Series in Walt Disney Hall, Festival Spazio Musica in Cagliari, Italy, and at the Bang On a Can Marathon in New York City.

BRANDON ARVAY

Brandon Arvay manages public relations for Global Premiere, and is an active percussionist, pedagogue, and entrepreneur. Having toured throughout the United States and Asia, he holds degrees from the University of South Carolina (B.M.E.), Colorado State University (M.M.), and the University of Kentucky (D.M.A.). Currently Percussion Instructor at Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras, he is also Section Percussionist with the Lexington Philharmonic, staff Percussion Arranger for 16Parks Music, member of the Arvay/Younglove Duo, PR Manager for Global Premiere, and Founder/CEO of ArvayMedia.

Brandon has numerous appeareances as a guest on the @Percussion Podcast and Pete’s Percussion Podcast. He is a contributing author for the PAS Educators’ Companion, Bluegrass Music News, Dansr, and serves on the PAS Education Committee. As a performer, Brandon has appeared at many festivals and clinics, and was featured on China Central Television in a performance tour of that country. He has enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with some of the world’s most respected performers (Marvin Hamlisch, Itzhak Perlman, Christine Brewer, Glenn Kotche, SO Percussion, Wycliffe Gordon, Matthew Morrision, Frederic Macerez, Miles Osland, Anders Astrand); conductors (George Daugherty, Gary Green, David Holsinger, Donald Portnoy, Wes Kenney, John Nardolillo, Scott Terrell); composers (Lewis Nielson, Adam Schoenberg, Baljinder Sekhon, James David).

He has commissioned works by Baljinder Sekhon, Eric Wubbels, Joe W. Moore, and Stephen Gorbos, and has played on a wide-range of audio recording projects, including the Ignite Series (C. Alan Pub. Co.), the Kollective Percussion Ensemble, Maiden (Classical Heritage Foundation), the UK Percussion Ensemble, and the self-titled album by the rock group Von Voigt. Brandon is an endorser for Innovative Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion and is a Yamaha Performing Artist.