As a performer and composer, saxophonist Steven Banks strives to bring his instrument to the heart of the classical music world. He is an active and intentional supporter of diverse voices in the future of concert music. Rick Perdian of Seen and Heard International has said “one senses that Banks has the potential to be one of the transformational musicians of the twenty-first century.”
Banks was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2022. He was the first saxophonist to be awarded First Prize at the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Critics have consistently recognized Banks for his warm yet glowing tone, well-crafted and communicative musical expression and deft technical abilities.
Banks has appeared with several orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, and Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra among others.
In recital, he has appeared across the USA with his collaborative partner, pianist Xak Bjerken. A keen chamber musician, Banks has appeared at Spoleto Festival USA, Chamber Music Chicago and the Aspen Music Festival. He has collaborated with the Borromeo and St. Lawrence string quartets and will work with the Dover and Verona quartets in 2025. He is a founding member of the prize-winning Kenari Quartet, an all-saxophone ensemble that offers inspiring and uplifting compositions and arrangements. Their album, French Saxophone Quartets, was released in 2016 on the Naxos label.
In recent years Banks has toured with a commissioned concerto from Grammy-winning composer Billy Childs. The three-movement, 20-minute concerto explores aspects of the African American experience in America and takes inspiration from such poets as Nayyirah Waheed, Claude McKay, and Maya Angelou. Banks’ composed work has been described by Jarrett Hoffman of Cleveland Classical as showcasing “a unique and ambitious blend of feelings and sounds” that portrays “a deep intimacy” and “a sense of vulnerability.” His work for alto saxophone and string quartet, Cries, Sighs and Dreams, was premiered in May 2022 at Carnegie Hall with the Borromeo Quartet.
Banks has spoken of his dynamic approach to overcoming institutionalized prejudices against women and people of color and has written and given lectures on the history of Black classical composers. In collaboration with Anthony Trionfo and Randall Goosby, the Learning to Listen roundtable was created to discuss the nuances of the Black experience in classical music and beyond. In partnership with the Sphinx Organization, they also created the Illuminate! series, opening essential conversations about music education, artist activism and the LGBTQIA+ community in classical music.
Banks serves as Saxophone and Chamber Music Faculty and Artist-in-Residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Website: https://steven-banks.com/