Nathan Bogert

For the past several years, Nathan Bogert has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Belgium, Mexico, Japan, and Brazil both as a soloist and with various ensembles. Described as “unbelievably stunning” by Sequenza 21 of the Contemporary Classical Music Community, Nathan’s musical endeavors have offered him the opportunity to perform in venues ranging from the Chautauqua Institute in New York to the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall at the Université Concordia-Loyola in Montreal, Quebec and the historic Andy’s Jazz Club in Chicago, IL.

Bogert began his applied saxophone studies with Mr. Ron Jones of Louisville, Kentucky with whom he studied both classical and jazz saxophone. After graduating from the Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville, Kentucky, he continued saxophone studies with Dr. George Wolfe at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Dr. Wolfe, describes him as “a deeply expressive performer.” Bogert recently completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone at the University of Iowa. In 2010, he completed a Master’s in Jazz Studies at the same institution. At the University of Iowa, he studied saxophone with Dr. Kenneth Tse.

Bogert has been a featured soloist with the Youth Performing Arts School Wind Ensemble, the Ball State Symphony Orchestra, the Ball State Jazz Lab Ensemble, the University of Iowa Jazz Repertory Ensemble, the University of Iowa’s Johnson County Landmark and the University of Iowa Chamber Orchestra. He has also premiered compositions by American composers Dr. Jody Nagel, Dr. Benjamin Fuhrman, and Dr. Israel Neumann. He participated in the premiere of Nagel’s saxophone quartet composition Star and has also appeared with the Ball State Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Dr. Nagel’s Sui Generis. Dr. Nagel also wrote a saxophone duet for Bogert entitled Spirals out of Control. With Israel Neumann, Bogert has been working on projects involving interactive improvisation with innovative computer software that is controlled by another performer, but responds instantaneously to the sounds from the saxophone.

In 2007, Bogert was selected as the first ever overall winner of the Yamaha Young Performing Artists competition after performing for an audience exceeding 3,000 people at Illinois State University’s Braden Auditorium. He was also awarded first place in the Ball State University Concerto Competition and the University of Iowa Concerto Competition. Most recently, Bogert won first prizes in both the 2012 North American Saxophone Alliance classical solo competition (at the Biennial conference at Arizona State University) and the 2012 Music Teachers National Association young artist competition held in New York City. In 2010, he was awarded 2nd prize in the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) quartet competition as the baritone saxophonist of the Axius Saxophone Quartet as well as 2nd prize in the classical solo competition. As a member of Axius, he was also awarded 1st prize in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) national chamber music competition and a silver medal at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

Bogert has worked with esteemed saxophonists such as Claude Delangle, Eugene Rousseau, Timothy McAllister, Kenneth Tse, Joseph Wytko, Patrick Meighan, Bill Street, and Jean-Marie Londeix. His passion for jazz has led him to share the stage with jazz artists Wayne Bergeron, Andy Milne, Winnard Harper, Ted Nash, Jimmy Greene, Marcus Printup, Andy Martin, Chuck Findley, Buddy DeFranco, Don Aliquo, Denis DiBlasio, and Carmen Bradford. With his band Groove Theory, Dr. Bogert has garnered regional attention as a gifted young jazz saxophonist. Legendary jazz critic Scott Yanow describes Bogert as a “passionate” saxophonist in his review of Cassius Goens III’s album Transition.