2007 Grammy Award nominee saxophonist Theodore Kerkezos, who has recorded with famed orchestras such as the London Symphony, is set to perform a recital in the Pottle Music Auditorium for Fanfare.
The Arts and Lectures Committee, as well as members of the Sigma Alpha Xi, sponsored the event. The performance will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Pottle Music Building Auditorium. Everyone is invited to attend the recital free of charge. Also on Oct. 23, Kerkezos will hold an open masterclass at 2 p.m. in the Pottle Music Building Room 103.
“Mr. Kerkezos is an impeccable classical saxophonist and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards,” said Dr. Richard Schwartz, instructor of saxophone and director of jazz studies. “I know it will be an amazing performance, and I am looking forward to the event. This is an amazing opportunity for my saxophone students.”
Kerkezos was nominated at the 50th Grammy Annual Awards 2007 in New York in the categories “Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra” and “Best Classical Album.”
Along with the London Symphony, he has performed and recorded the complete repertoire for saxophone with orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Berliner Symphony, Nuremberg Symphony and many more. He has received several distinctions including, “Papaioannou Chamber Music Award,” “CD of the month,” “Artist of the Week” and “Editor’s Choice.”
Kerkezos expressed his appreciation for the saxophone program at Southeastern.
“I know that Southeastern has a wonderful saxophone professor with a fine saxophone class there, and I was looking for a chance to come and collaborate with him,” said Kerkezos. “Since I arranged this small tour in Louisiana, I have been in touch with Professor Richard Schwartz, and he invited me to give a master class and a recital.”
While the majority of Kerkezos’ performances have taken place in Europe, he explained his anticipation of the upcoming recital.
“The composer Dinos Constantinides is an old friend of mine and we have successfully collaborated many times in the past in Europe but not in the United States,” said Kerkezos. “I am happy because this time I will perform his music, along with other pieces, at Southeastern Louisiana University.”
Kerkezos will be performing several pieces of his original arrangement with pianist accompaniment from Dr. Henry Jones, associate professor of piano.  
The evening’s repertoire will include four arranged pieces by Astor Piazzolla, an arrangement of George Gershwin’s second prelude, “Flew the Flame,” by Errikos Vaios and a piece by Pierre Sancan.
“Along with my other duties here, I often play for visiting artists, and I often work with Dr. Schwartz and his students,” said Jones. “I was first on the list to be asked to do this concert. It looks like unusual and varied repertoire.”
The recital guest performance was made possible through the help of a mutual acquaintance of Kerkezos and Schwartz.
“Being his first visit to Southeastern from Greece, Mr. Kerkezos contacted me through a mutual acquaintance and saxophone teacher from Ithaca College,” said Schwartz.
Saxophone students look to the upcoming performance and masterclass with excitement.
“I think I can speak on behalf of the whole saxophone studio by saying we are all very excited about having Theodore Kerkezos here at Southeastern Louisiana University,” said Zakkary Garner, a junior music education major. “It is always a pleasure to get to meet professional saxophonists, and it is an incredible opportunity to receive instruction from world class musicians, such as Theodore Kerkezoz. It is experiences such as this one that will help mold us into the professional musicians that strive to become.”