Grant Larson

Equally comfortable in both classical and jazz settings, saxophonist Grant Larson regularly performs with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. An active recitalist and proponent of new music, he has premiered works for saxophone by Paul Hanson, Philip Wharton, Chiayu Hsu, Steven Makala, and John Drumheller at regional and national conventions.

As a jazz artist, he has released two albums under his own name, and most recently, a collaborative album (Ascent) of original jazz compositions with fellow musicians Greg Tanner Harris, Matt Fuller, Braun Khan, and Dave Hammond. Grant holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder; a Master of Music from the University of Colorado; and a Bachelor of Music from Concordia College. He currently serves on the faculty at Red Rocks Community College, as the Saxophone Practicing Artist at Denver School of the Arts, is the wind ensemble conductor for the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestras, and as the Jazz Camp program director at Rocky Ridge Music.

Teaching Philosophy

My instructional philosophy is based on beliefs in a strong technical foundation (clean technique built through scale and etude study), characteristic sound, comprehensive musicianship (history, theory, styles, genres, etc.), and building a strong student/teacher relationship with each individual. As a music educator, it is my goal to teach each student with regards to his or her background, skill set, and goals for future music making.