A major artistic presence, the Alexander String Quartet is widely admired around the world for its interpretations of the classics and as an important advocate of new music as evidenced by over 25 commissions and numerous premiere performances. At home in San Francisco, the members of the Alexander String Quartet serve as Ensemble in Residence of San Francisco Performances and as directors of the Morrison Chamber Music Center in the College for Creative Arts at San Francisco State University.

Prior to arriving in the United State, Andrew Speight was a leading saxophone player on the Australian jazz scene performing with James Morrison, Tom Baker, Don Burrows and his own quintet. He also performed with visiting jazz artists from the States, including Nat Adderley, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Newman, Joe Williams and Louis Bellson. In 1991, Andrew Speight was introduced to the international jazz world at the Thelonius Monk International Saxophone Competition in Washington, D.C. Of some 500 entrants from around the world, Andrew Speight was the only non-American prize winner. Currently on the faculty of San Francisco State University, Speight implemented a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies in the fall of 2001.

The collaborative work, Focus is the music of Eddie Sauter composed for Stan Getz in 1961. The commission would bring together elements of jazz and classical music, a work, to quote Getz (from liner notes of the recording) that would “show quite clearly that the legitimacy of the past 300 years and the soul of our modern times can be put together and be beautiful.” The result was Focus, a work nearly 40 minutes in length with the saxophonist weaving improvisation (there is no written music for the saxophonist whatever) throughout the fully-composed lines for the strings. Getz gave only one concert performance of the work and it has rarely been performed since. In 2004, the Alexander String Quartet and various jazz musicians including the Grammy Award-winning David Sánchez Group, began performing Focus, succeeding in recreating the magic evident in the original recording.

The performance on Thursday, April 12 at 8:00 pm concludes the 2006-2007 season of Eisemann Center Presents’ Hill Performance Hall Spotlight Series. Tickets range from $20-$50 and are available for purchase online at www.eisemanncenter.com or by calling the Eisemann Center Ticket Office at 972-744-4650 and group discounts are available. Several residency workshops are planned at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) in partnership with the School of Arts & Humanities and at other schools in the area with strong music programs.

The Focus Collaboration with the Alexander String Quartet and Andrew Speight is supported by Mid-America Arts Alliance with generous underwriting by the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, and foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

The Charles W. Eisemann Center is located in the Galatyn Park Urban Center at 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson, Texas. Sponsors for the 2006-2007 Season include The Dallas Morning News/WFAA-TV and DART. Radio sponsor for this event is WRR Classical 101.1 FM

Music of Eddie Sauter composed for Stan Getz (1961)