Shockingly Modern Saxophone Festival: Augustana Saxophone Studio

The Shockingly Modern Saxophone Festival celebrates new and experimental music for saxophone. It explores the nearly unlimited sonic potential of the saxophone through new composition, improvisation, extended performance techniques, microtonality, electronic music, multimedia, and other experimental elements. The festival features performances by the Augustana saxophone students and faculty, as well as an annual guest artist. By pushing the saxophone to its technical and expressive limits, these performances challenge and reshape our sense of what music can be.

The 2026 guest artists are John Sampen (saxophone) with Mark Bunce (electronics).

All events are free and open to the public.

Schedule:

• 10:30 a.m.: Augustana Saxophone Studio
• 11 a.m.: Saxophone Masterclass with John Sampen
• 2:30 p.m.: Faculty recital, Randall Hall
• 3:30 p.m.: Q&A with John Sampen and Mark Bunce
• 7:30 p.m.: Guest artists recital, John Sampen and Mark Bunce, "In Two Worlds"