Saxophonist Joseph Lulloff is one of today’s most sought-after performers and clinicians. Acclaimed internationally for his innovative style and unparalleled virtuosity, Mr. Lulloff has been described by Branford Marsalis as “a marvelous musician” whose “knowledge of music, along with his ability to embrace music normally considered outside the sphere, makes him a joy to listen to.” Mr. Lulloff performs regularly with symphony orchestras throughout the United States and as soloist in many of the most prestigious concert venues in the Americas, Europe, Southeast Asia and Japan.
Joseph Lulloff received both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University. He has taught at the University of Illinois and is currently Distinguished Professor of Saxophone Performance Studies at Michigan State University.
It is at Michigan State University where Joseph Lulloff has crossed paths with composers and faculty colleagues, Charles Ruggiero and Jere Hutcheson. He has commissioned, premiered and championed many saxophone works of Charles Ruggiero, including Interplay for soprano sax and piano, Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra, Three Blues for Saxophone Quartet, Dig: JSB-I for saxophone quartet, SizzleSax II for tenor saxophone and multiple percussion, Night Songs and Flights of Fancy for alto saxophone and piano, and Dance Compulsions for saxophone, piano and wind ensemble. In addition to his work with Charles Ruggiero, Mr. Lulloff has enjoyed collaborating with Jere Hutcheson, commissioning and premiering his Concerto for Saxophone (soprano and alto) and orchestra. Mr. Lulloff also holds a strong interest in collaborations with composers to enhance the contemporary saxophone repertoire. He has been involved in commissioning and premiering works by Zack Browning, Michael Colgrass, David Cutler, Don Freund, Perry Goldstein, John Harbison, John Anthony Lennon, David Maslanka, Ronald Newman, David Ott, Gunther Schuller, Scott Wyatt, and Paul Martin Zonn.
Joseph Lulloff is a member of the summer artist faculty at the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, N.C., and is past president of the North American Saxophone Alliance. Mr. Lulloff’s honors include a Pro Musicis International Music Award, and both the Teacher/Scholar Award and the Distinguished Faculty Award from Michigan State University. As winner of the annual Concert Artists Guild International Music Competition, he has presented solo recitals at New York’s Weill Recital Hall and major concert halls in Washington, DC (Smithsonian Institute), Boston (Jordan Hall), and Los Angeles. New York Times critic Alan Hughes commented, “Mr. Lulloff’s artistry showed fine instincts for phrasing in both brilliant and pensive music.”
Mr. Lulloff has performed as a member of the wind sections of the Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestras, among others. Commenting on Mr. Lulloff’s recent solo performances of the Ingolf Dahl Saxophone Concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra, Dan Rosenberg wrote in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “Lulloff was amazing. He traversed the instrument with seamless agility, filled out phrases for all their expressive worth and achieved dynamics from inaudible purrs to penetrating howls.” The Akron Beacon Journal noted that Joseph Lulloff “played with all the finesse of a top-notch concert violinist.” And the New York Times commented that “Mr. Lulloff demonstrated considerable virtuosity as a soloist.”
As soprano saxophonist with the Capitol Quartet, Mr. Lulloff performs and participates in educational residences with this critically acclaimed saxophone quartet throughout the United States. For more information about the Capitol Quartet, visit www.capitolquartet.com.
This past fall, his engagements have included performances with the Peoria Symphony and Weill Hall in Carnegie (as member of the Capitol Quartet), and concerts with the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble in Moscow, Russia.
Equally adept with both classical and jazz repertoire, Mr. Lulloff is featured both as a soloist and ensemble member in numerous recordings on the Arabesque, RCA, Albany, AUR, Veriatza, and Channel Classics labels. His recording of the Ingolf Dahl Concerto for saxophone (Music of Dahl, Colgrass and Ruggiero-AUR Recordings) has been hailed by critics for its appealing musical virtuosity and sensitivity.
Joe Lulloff is a Yamaha Performing Artist and resides in Okemos, Michigan, with his wife Janet and son Jordan.
“Joseph Lulloff played … with all the finesse of a top-notch concert violinist. … Lulloff was a bright presence, blending with the wind ensemble but always audible and soloistic. Alto saxophone can be cuttingly bright, but Lulloff’s was smooth and slightly covered, agreeably so. He maintained impressive consistency throughout his entire range. Lulloff … knows a thing or two about stage presence as well as technique …” – Akron Beacon-Journal, May 14, 2005