Student Profile: Brian Kachur, Concerto Competition Winner
Brian Kachur, a 2025 winner of Northwestern's Concerto Competition, recently sat down for an interview about his upcoming concert. Brian will be playing Frank Ticheli's Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble on February 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.
How would you describe your experience at the Bienen School of Music so far?
Working toward my doctorate at the Bienen School of Music has been the pinnacle of my musical experience thus far. I've had nothing but positive experiences with professors in my coursework, and performance opportunities both inside and outside of the saxophone studio have been extremely memorable. I also had the opportunity to participate in some of the jazz ensembles as well, which was not something I expected to do when I arrived, but I'm so glad I was able to make that a large part of my experience at Bienen!
What did your rehearsal process look like for this concerto, and how did you approach this piece?
We began rehearsals during the second week of January, and it's been a really smooth process since day one. SWE is a really skilled group of musicians, and I was of course blown away by the preparation and attention to detail from both the musicians and Dr. Taylor from the very first notes. I also really appreciate the hospitality of the band staff when I arrive to each rehearsal, making it a really enjoyable and comfortable process.
The piece is pretty different from most other concertos I've worked on, and has a lot of quirky characters and tricky rhythmic elements that are very characteristic of Ticheli's wind ensemble writing. The biggest thing I've been trying to prioritize in my interpretation is bringing out soloistic moments when they occur, and also being able to blend into the ensemble when needed, especially working to blend into the woodwind section which is closest behind me when playing. Ticheli's deliberate and careful scoring of the ensemble throughout the piece helps with this challenge!
Is there anything in particular that the audience should listen for in this concerto, or anything that makes this piece special?
The piece is loosely themed around birds, and each movement has a unique bird-like character. The first movement, "Falcon Fantasy," evokes imagery of a falcon beautifully soaring over a large landscape, while also incorporating these playful "scurrying" textures, as Ticheli puts it, where you can imagine the falcon hunting for its prey. The highlight of the piece for me is the second movement, "Silver Swan." Ticheli was inspired by the belief that swans sing a final parting song before their death, and he tries to encapsulate the haunting beauty of this idea with his lush harmonic textures and the song-like melodic solo lines in this movement. The finale of the piece, "Black Raven," finishes the piece with dark, brooding, fiery energy. Frantic technical passages and rhythmic ideas that feel just a bit off-balance make this last section of the piece especially exciting. Overall, the bird theme and evocative imagery of the composition make this piece really stand out as a unique addition to the saxophone repertoire, and I hope listeners will be able to hear these characters come through!
What is something you’re looking forward to in the rest of your time at Bienen or after graduation?
While I've finished up the coursework and am not taking classes actively, I still spend a lot of time at Bienen when I am practicing, rehearsing, and teaching courses as a Graduate Instructor. I enjoy seeing fellow saxophonists and musicians that I've gotten to know over the past two years and hearing what everyone is up to. I really like walking along Lake Michigan outside of Bienen every day to get a break from it all. After graduation, I plan to continue performing as a soloist and with my chamber ensemble, Aero Quartet, and hope to secure a full-time university teaching position in the near future.
What's a fun fact about yourself?
When I'm not playing the saxophone, I am very active as an amateur singer in the barbershop harmony style, which I've been doing for a little over a year now. I am a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, which helps to preserve this style of music which first originated around the turn of the century. It's extremely enjoyable for me and is quite different from my regular musical activities as a classical and jazz musician. I sing baritone in the New Tradition Chorus based in Northbrook, and I also sing in a quartet!