Gillian Blair

Praised for her ‘flawless and accomplished’ performances (Peterborough Telegraph) and ‘honest and genuine music-making’ (D’Addario Competition), Gillian enjoys a varied career as a saxophonist, chamber musician and educator. She has won first prize in competitions including the International Young Musician Competition at the Llangollen Eisteddfod, the D’addario Single Reed Competition, the RNCM Woodwind Competition, the Charles Scarratt Award for Young Musicians and the RNCM’s Sir John Manduell Prize.

She holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the Royal Northern College of Music where she studied with Rob Buckland, Carl Raven and Andy Scott, and she is now on the teaching faculty at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, having previously taught at the Universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield.

As a soloist, she has performed around Europe, North America and Asia at festivals and concert series’ including the BBC Proms, EurSax, Koganei Miyajigakki Hall (Tokyo), PepsiCo Recital Hall (Texas), University of Arkansas, World Saxophone Congresses (St Andrews, Strasbourg and Zagreb), Oklahoma State University, North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, the Palaver Festival and several broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. She has appeared as a guest soloist with ensembles including the Band of the Coldstream Guards, Commonwealth String Orchestra, Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra, University of Arkansas Saxophone Ensemble, the RNCM Percussion Ensemble and the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra.

Her latest project focusses on works which have been inspired, commissioned or composed by women. Her debut solo album featuring these pieces will be released in Autumn 2022.

Gillian performs with the Borealis Saxophone Quartet, Blair/Mertens Duo and the Polaris Duo (Saxophone & Harp) as well as larger ensembles including the Orchestra of Opera North, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Halle, Manchester Concert Orchestra and the Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Gillian is a Henri Selmer Paris Artist and a Vandoren UK Artist.

www.gillianblair.com