Meet Drew
Saxophonist Drew Whiting has established himself as a champion of new and experimental music, specializing in performing works of the 20th and 21st centuries in solo, chamber, and electroacoustic settings.
Drew is described as having “superb musicianship” (The Saxophonist), “remarkable versatility” (Computer Music Journal), and a “superb advocate of the music he champions” (Fanfare Magazine).
Drew has also been a featured artist for the Turn Up Online Festival, presented the first ever Performer Curated Concert at the 2017 SEAMUS Conference, and was the featured performer for the Electronic Music Midwest Festival in 2019, where his performances were described as “exquisite and emotive… manag[ing] everything with aplomb”. Additionally, he has performed at the Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium, Ball State University Festival of New Music, Third Practice Festival, SPLICE Festival and Institute, North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences, and the International Navy Band Saxophone Symposium. Drew has worked with composers such as Alexis Bacon, Jeff Herriott, Betsy Jolas, Erik Lund, Ed Martin, John Mayrose, Pauline Oliveros, Judith Shatin, and Pamela Z, and has premiered over forty works by established and emerging composers.
His debut solo album, In Lights Starkly Different, is available on Innova Recordings featuring recently composed works for saxophone and electronics, and has been met with acclaim. Critics have said, “What perhaps most recommends In Lights Starkly Different—aside from the pleasures afforded by Whiting’s prowess on soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes—is its variety” (Textura), and “This is contemporary music at its best” (The Whole Note). Drew can also be heard on the NAXOS, Petrichor, and Centaur labels.
In addition to his new music pursuits, Drew regularly performs the standard concert saxophone repertoire, transcriptions of borrowed works, as well as commercial music. He has also recorded music for the Lifetime Television Network, and performed with iconic groups such as The Four Tops, The Temptations, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Currently, he performs with a variety of ensembles including the Water City Jazz Orchestra, and Wisconsin Symphonic Winds, and is a baritone saxophonist for the Coalescent Quartet.
Drew is a dedicated, passionate, and vibrant educator. As a Vandoren Artist-Clinician, Dr. Whiting has presented clinics at schools across Wisconsin, as well as universities across the nation. Dr. Whiting serves as Associate Professor of Saxophone at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Drew received his Bachelors's and Master of Music degrees from the Michigan State University College of Music where he studied with Joseph Lulloff. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he studied with Debra Richtmeyer. Drew is a proud Yamaha Performing Artist and Vandoren Artist-Clinician, performing exclusively on Yamaha saxophones and Vandoren woodwind products.