James Wylie
Saxophone
Saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist and composer James Wylie (b.1986), currently based in Thessaloniki, Greece, grew up in Wellington, New Zealand and was introduced to music through classical repertoire at a young age. After experience with piano and violin he settled on the saxophone in his teens serving as his introduction to jazz and improvised music. James studied at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington where he received his Bachelor of Music. During this time he was active both locally and internationally and was the recipient of prestigious awards such as grants from both the NRW KULTURsekretariats, Aotea Performing Arts Trust and the Woolf Fisher Trust. The latter of these two awards allowed him to continue formal study at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. He graduated in 2010 with a Masters of Music (Honours) in Jazz Performance. Whilst in Boston he studied privately with many renowned musicians, both in Boston and abroad, such as Hayden Chisholm, Frank Gratkowski, Anthony Coleman, Jerry Bergonzi, Allan Chase, Dominique Eade, John McNeil, Cecil McBee, Bill McHenry, Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek. In 2011, James reclocated to Berlin involving himself in a wide variety of musical activities and collaborations with dance and theatre. He has also performed or recorded in more than twenty-five countries internationally, in major festivals such as Moers Festival, Les Suds à Arles, Festival D’Aix-En-Provence, Jazzfest Berlin, Athens Epidaurus Festival, Udaipur World Music Festival and many more as well as with musicians such as Gunther Schuller, Aynur Dogan, Sokratis Sinopoulos, Amir AlSaffar, Harris Lambrakis, Giannis Aggelakas, Hayden Chisholm, Max Andrzjewski, Thimios Atzakas, Antonis Anissegos, Michalis Siganidis, Anna Webber, Kostas Theodorou, Sam Rivers, Wayne Shorter, Jonathan Crayford, Kostas Anastasiadis, Bob Moses, Cecil McBee and as well as having created music for Boston-based theatre company, Company1. As an educator James has many years of experience teaching saxophone, music theory and composition and has given workshops throughout Εurope and the rest of the world at institutions such as the Paris Conservatoire, the New Zealand Jazz Foundation and Jazz Workshop Australia. His musical interests include the investigation of microtonality and non-tempered intonation systems and their application to the saxophone and extending the language and technique of the instrument. In parallel James has a deep interest in the tradition musics of Greece, Iran, Armenia, Turkey, and the near east. As well as his work with the saxophone he studies with Sina Danesh on the Iranian kamanche and persian radif and is working to complete a PhD concerning Iranian classical music.