J. Adam Briggs
Saxophonist J. Adam Briggs, acclaimed as "a master of his instrument" (Fanfare Magazine), is an active classical soloist, chamber musician, and jazz artist. He has concertized in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, including most recently at the U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium and the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference. Briggs has given residencies and master classes at Interlochen Arts Camp, Brevard Music Center, and throughout Maryland, Michigan, and Arizona. Briggs serves as Instructor of Saxophone at Hope College and is the music director and co-founder of the Collective Behavior (CoBe) Chamber Music Series. He also has private studios in Lansing and Holland, Michigan, and spends his summers teaching at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Briggs' debut recording Transcension, released on the Blue Griffin label, was described as "a must-own for anyone interested in saxophone playing at the highest level" (Fanfare Magazine). He was previously featured with the Catalina Saxophone Quartet on America's Millennium Tribute to Adolphe Sax: Volume XIV performing Gavin Bryars' Alaric I or II. He also appeared as a member of the Peabody Conservatory Wind Ensemble on their recordings of Johan de Meij's Symphonies, released on the Naxos label.
In addition to being music director of CoBe, Briggs has been involved in several diverse chamber groups, including the avant-garde Mobtown Modern Ensemble, the funk-rock inspired Contrafunktus VII, the improvisatory Crossing Barriers Group, and many classical saxophone quartets. As a member of these groups and others, he has performed on concert series such as UA Presents, the Crane Saxophone Chamber Music Festival, and the Mobtown Modern Series. Briggs has also shared the stage with several notable jazz performers such as Marcus Belgrave, Conrad Herwig, John Fedchock, Ron Blake, and Xavier Davis.
Briggs began serious musical studies with Paul Nolen and went on to study with Timothy McAllister, Gary Louie, and Joseph Lulloff, with whom he completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Performance. He received additional studies from artists Kelland Thomas, Joe Burgstaller, James Forger, and John Nichol.