MSU Professor Dr. Wonki Lee Visits Broadus Public Schools

By Kim Blain

On Tuesday, October 28th, Dr. Wonki Lee, saxophone professor at Montana State University and classical saxophonist, along with a saxophone quartet from the university awed the 5th through 12th grade students at Broadus Public Schools with amazing saxophone playing.

Dr. Lee and the ensemble performed four classical pieces during the hour-long assembly.

After their performance, our high school saxophone players were privileged to workshop with each performer on their respective instruments. Students learned valuable technical skills to improve their playing skills. Alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone were the main saxophones worked on, and learned there are eight different saxophones.

Dr. Lee was born to Korean parents living in Tokyo, Mr. Lee began to study the saxophone at age thirteen and soon moved to New York City where he received his training at Manhattan School of Music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree from Manhattan School of Music. He studied with Akemi Endo, Shiro Hatae, Nobuya Sugawa, and Dr. Paul Cohen.

Members of the MSU-Bozeman Saxophone Quartet were: Garrett Nelson-Cody, WY, Jordan Jensen-Townsend, MT, Nate Devel and Tanner Crow both of Kalispell, MT.

It was a fabulous opportunity for our students to receive this extra instruction from this caliber of musicians.