Eyes to Look Otherwise (2024) is a new concerto for soprano saxophone and orchestra or wind ensemble composed by Juan Sebastián Cardona Ospina and dedicated to Michael Hernandez. The work was commissioned by the Latinx Storytellers Project and is based on the artwork of Mexican-American artist, Tino Rodriguez. More

A new concerto dedicated to Michael for soprano saxophone and Wind Ensemble! Three movements approximately 15 minutes in length. Awaiting it’s World Premeire!

The Soprano Sax Concerto has a duration of roughly 17 minutes and is composed in a single movement. Higdon described her inspiration for the work in the score program notes, writing:

I have always been struck by the range of power and beauty that comes from saxophones. I have seen a sax quartet bring a large school room filled with hundreds of children come to a complete halt with one tutti note. Many people don't realize just how much power exists in this group of instruments, and often they may not realize the potential for beauty. The soprano sax in particular produces a tone of warmth and a real agility that allows it to sing like none of the other instruments in this group. I thought that this instrument would balance the accompanying ensemble quite well, but give listeners a chance to hear its exquisite beauty.

One of the most popular works in the soprano saxophone canon, Villa-Lobos composed this work in 1948.

Michael has performed this work many times both with piano and orchestra.

Sample score

Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, puts the agility of the soprano saxophone on full display and adds interest by subtly steering the ensemble through a multitude of harmonic areas. Sample score

Silenced by the Nazi Party during WWII, German Jewish composer, Siegfried Borris was one of the most widely known figures in the Berlin music scene during the 20th Century. The Konzert was composed for the world famous soprano saxophonist Carina Raschèr in 1966 and premiered on July 9th 1967 at the Allgemeines Deutsches Musikfest in Munich and again in 1971 at the Berlin Philharmonic Concert Hall. Carina Raschèr has charged Michael with ensuring the work’s American Premiere…more

Born into a musical family in Cologne, Germany, Glaser's mother studied piano under Clara Schumann. He pursued piano, conducting, and composition at the Cologne Conservatory, along with art history. Glaser continued his studies in composition with Paul Hindemith in Berlin, where he also explored psychology. From 1929 to 1931, he served as a conductor at the Chemnitz Opera. Persecuted by the Nazis for his Jewish heritage, he fled Germany in 1933 and relocated to Sweden, becoming an active participant in the Swedish classical music scene. He passed away in 2006 and was laid to rest in the Jewish Cemetery in Stockholm. Glaser composed Canto in 1970, dedicating it to soprano saxophonist Carina Raschèr, and it still awaits its American premiere. A PDF of the manuscript score is available upon request.

The Concerto in E flat major for alto saxophone and string orchestra, Op. 109, was written by Alexander Glazunov in 1934 and dedicated to the classical saxophone pioneer, Sigurd Raschèr . The piece lasts about fourteen minutes and is played without pause. It is deeply rooted in Romanticism, and has entered the standard saxophone repertoire.