Holiday Concert - NoCo Winds Saxophone Sextet

NoCo Winds Saxophone Ensembles 

Sextet – December 13th 3:30 - 4:30

Overview

Established in 1995, the NoCo Winds Saxophone Ensembles perform saxophone quartet, quintet, sextet, and choir literature from classical to contemporary, including traditional folk to jazz and rock and nearly everything in between. The first ensemble was a traditional saxophone quartet, featuring soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. A few years later, the NoCo Winds Saxophone Ensembles family grew to include a saxophone choir—more than ten saxophones from sopranino all the way down to bass saxophone playing together. 

The NoCo Winds Saxophone Sextet you are hearing today was started in the late 1990s and held its first performance at the American School Band Directors Association Conference in 2000. Since then, the sextet has given dozens of performances for a wide range of occasions and audiences across the Northern Colorado region. 

Sextet Members

Sopranino/Soprano Saxophone: Paul Worrell is a retired engineer who has performed with various groups in the region since 1993. Founder of the NoCo Winds Saxophone Ensembles, Paul leads and coordinates rehearsals and performances for the group.

Soprano/Alto Saxophone: Shawn Schou studied music at James Madison University before moving to Colorado in 2013. In addition to playing lead alto with the NoCo Winds Saxophone Sextet, he plays lead alto in several local ensembles.

Alto Saxophone: Rick Grotzky is the band and orchestra director at Severance High School and a longtime musician who has performed across the region and state with many concert bands and ensembles.

Tenor Saxophone: Darrel Watson is an Oregon native. He moved to Colorado to attend UNC where he received a degree in Jazz Studies. He currently works at UNC supporting veterans and their dependents using VA education benefits.

Baritone Saxophone: Born and raised in Fort Collins, Lacey Piekarz has played baritone saxophone since switching from the flute in junior high school. She plays with several small ensembles and community bands in the Fort Collins area, and she works as a business writing consultant.

Bass Saxophone: Nick Frazee has been in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming since 1986. He has played in numerous bands, orchestras, and jazz bands all over the region and is equally at home performing jazz, concert, or orchestral styles.