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Saxophonist/Professor Soprano Chair, PRISM Quartet Ann Arbor, Michigan timothymcallister.com

Photo by R.R. Jones 

Timothy McAllister is a Grammy award-winning classical saxophonist and music professor based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A member of the PRISM Quartet, he is credited with dozens of recordings and over 200 premieres of new compositions by composers worldwide. Timothy has performed as soloist with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra at the London Proms, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, among others. His work can be heard on the Nonesuch, Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, OMM, Stradivarius, Centaur, and innova record labels. In 2014, Timothy joined the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance as an associate professor of saxophone. He earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where his primary mentor was Professor Emeritus of saxophone, Donald Sinta. Timothy spends his summers as a distinguished artist faculty member at the Interlochen Arts Camp and regularly performs with the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Cabrillo Festival Orchestra. When he’s not working you can find him on Fall Saturdays at Michigan Stadium pulling for the Wolverines, or enjoying downtime in front of his favorite science fiction movies. Timothy resides in Ann Arbor with his wife, composer Roshanne Etezady, and their daughter, kindergartener, Roya.

FAVORITES

Book: Letters to a Young Poet  by Rainer Maria Rilke

Destination: San Juan Islands; Washington

Composer: John Adams

Motto: "Do or do not, there is no 'try'!" - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

THE QUERY

Where were you born? 

Dallas, Texas

What were some of the passions and pastimes of your earlier years? 

I enjoyed BMX cycling in junior high school. Later, it was freestyle stunt riding. I also enjoyed playing basketball until high school, and have always loved comics and sci-fi.

How did you begin to realize your intrigue with music? 

I took early piano lessons, and had an extensive record collection of movie soundtracks, rock, and classical.

What is your earliest memory of music as an experience? 

Performing in the junior high school band led to early quality experiences that left a deep impression on me.

How and when did your interest with the saxophone take seed? 

Once I began expanding my listening with recordings by iconic saxophonists, I became excited about the prospect of following their path. Performing and teaching the saxophone became a real career pursuit, and something tangible I could cultivate.

Why does this form of artistic expression suit you?

I enjoy a challenge, and promoting the saxophone in the classical arena is obviously an uphill struggle in a field dominated by more traditional instruments, such as the violin or piano. I felt my reach and efforts as a saxophonist could carry more weight.

What path did your music training follow?

From ninth grade on, I knew I wanted to follow in the footsteps of the master saxophonists, namely professors at leading universities, such as the University of Michigan, Indiana University, and others. This led to working with teachers who had, too, followed such pursuits to study with major figures like my predecessor at Michigan, Donald Sinta.

Is there a moment in your musical performance life that stands out as most memorable?

Performing at the annual London Proms concerts in the 5300-seat Royal Albert Hall in 2014. I was the only second classical saxophonist in the 120-year history of the Proms to perform as soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. It was such a huge occasion, and a spectacle unlike any I'd ever witnessed.

How would you describe your creative process? 

So much of what fuels my playing and creative work centers around deep physical preparation, meditation, analysis, and the psychology of performance.

Is there a project along the way that has presented an important learning curve? 

Probably every recording project I've been involved in. These are the greatest opportunities for artistic growth, because you know the product you create will undergo such intense scrutiny by peers and consumers. You rise up to meet that challenge in such a project, generating new standards for yourself.

How has your aesthetic evolved over the years? 

I came out of college wanting to promote high academic modernism over all other music aesthetics. I wanted to set the world on fire cultivating audiences who would appreciate such cerebral music-making and intellectualism. Over time, my stance softened, and I fell in love with music that connected more through the heart and less through the mind. I discovered the neo-romantics and post-modernists, and understood that new music with melody and traditional templates could still be beautiful, accessible, and complex all at the same time.

Do you have an artistic resource that you turn to? 

A great book (and philosophy) called Flow by the Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which addresses the high mental state required for optimal performance.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

"If you need me to tell you how good you are, you aren't going to be a good pupil." Donald Sinta

From where do you draw inspiration? 

Poetry, visual art, and nature.

Who in your life would you like to thank, and for what? 

My parents, first and foremost, who fostered my early music career and provided resources for me to have the best instruction and equipment.

What three things can’t you live without?

New York style pizza, football, and my family.

Is there a book or film that has changed you?

Book: the aforementioned Letters to a Young Poet.

Film: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. It taught me as a child that it's okay for grown men to cry in a movie theater.

Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

I tell young musicians that they can never measure success in the short-term. I always relay what I have often heard, that a career is a long-distance marathon, not a 100-yard dash. Build the foundation and philosophy that will guide your entire life, and by dreaming big, you can often be surprised by how easily you can achieve the smaller goals in life.

What drives you these days? 

Call Your Mom, a theatre group consisting of Mia Massimino (Interarts ‘17), Emma Bergman (Interarts ’17), Eliza Cadoux (’17), and Sophie Goldberg (Interarts ‘17), premiered their new show, THIS CLOSE, at the Duderstadt Video Studio this past weekend! Brava!