yesaroun' Duo :: are you a composer?

If you're a composer, we'd love to hear from you. The yesaroun' Duo is always looking for new great music to perform. Eric plays all saxophones and bass clarinet; Sam plays any and all percussion. If you have a work for our ensemble, a work for two non instrument specific performers (i.e. clapping, speaking, Talking Big Bird dolls, etc.) or a work for percussion or saxophone solo, please don't hesitate to send it along - see our contact info. If you're interested in writing for us, please send your materials (recordings, bio, etc.) and we will consider a collaboration.

Also, feel free to contact us with any questions you have regarding writing for percussion or saxophone, for a piece you're writing for this ensemble or any other. We're always happy to help.

How to write for yesaroun':

Eric specifics:

I can play soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones and bass clarinet alone or in any combination (not at the same time though), and can also play any simple percussion if necessary.

My ranges on the four saxophones sound as follows:

I have limited dexterity in the upper octaves of baritone, tenor and alto horns, and in the uppermost 6th of the soprano's range. These instruments are all transposing - baritone and alto are in Eb and tenor and soprano are in Bb. The ranges are written as follows:

Stay tuned for my list of tricks, including multiphonic charts.

Saxophone music to check out:

solo:
Luciano Berio - Sequenza VIIb, Sequenza IXb
Chistian Lauba - Neuf Etudes
Karlheinz Stockhausen - In Freundschaft
Joan Tower - Wings
Toru Takemistu - Distance
Giacinto Scelci - Tre Pizzi

chamber music:
Edison Denisov - Sonata for saxophone and piano, Duo Sonata for saxophone and cello
William Albright - Sonata
Sofia Gubaidulina - Duo Sonata for two baritone saxophones
John Anthony Lennon - Distances Within Me
Christian Lauba - Dream in a Bar
Iannis Xenais - XAS for sax quartet
Franco Donatoni - Rasch
Steve Reich - New York Counterpoint
Charles Wuorinen - Divertimento

concerti:
Donald Martino
Edison Denisov
Karel Husa
Ingolf Dahl

Sam specifics:

Percussion instrument list:
These are only the instrument I own. Don’t feel constricted to these instruments - I do a lot of renting and borrowing as needed. If you want to use a xylophone or glockenspiel or Japanese temple bowls, etc., I can arrange that but please try to avoid using especially difficult to find instruments, like three octaves of tuned gongs.

5 octave marimba
vibraphone
2 snare drums
4 tom-toms
pedal bass drums
2 bongos
3 high roto toms
djembe

3 cowbells
2 wood blocks
5 temple blocks
2 tambourines
3 triangles
mark tree
4 brake drums

suspended cymbal
china cymbal
splash cymbal
hihat
3 Chinese opera gongs
2 small tam-tams
miscellaneous shakers and maracas
lots of other little things

Once you decide on the instruments you would like to write for, please send the instrument list to me. I can then design and send you a diagram of the setup and an instrument key so you can get an idea of how the setup looks, how I will need to move within it and how I would like it notated.

Please email me with any other specific questions.

Percussion music to check out:

solo:
Jacob Druckman - Reflections on the Nature of Water
Iannis Xenakis - Rebounds, Psappha
Per Nørgard - I Ching
David Lang - Anvil Chorus
Charles Wuorinen - Janissary Music

percussion ensemble:
John Cage - Third Construction
Iannis Xenakis - Pleiades, Persephassa, Ohko
James Wood - Village Burial with Fire
Christopher Rouse - Ku-Ka ilimoku, Ogoun Badagris
Steve Reich - Sextet
Toru Takemitsu - Rain Tree

mixed ensembles:
Jacob Druckman - Animus II, Dark Upon the Harp, Come Round
Elliott Carter - Double Concerto
George Crumb - Ancient Voices for Children, Music for a Summer Evening, Madrigals
Steve Reich - Tehellim
Luciano Berio - Circles