Saxophonist Christian Aliferis, a senior at James Madison High School, has won the City of Fairfax Band Association’s annual Young Artist Competition and will solo with the City of Fairfax Band in their May 4 concert.
On winning the competition he said, “I'm thrilled to be performing with the band. This is my first time ever performing a concerto with an ensemble, and I'm super excited.” Then he recalls, with a laugh, his first solo, as a young performer: “My first solo was in sixth grade when I played the ‘Mario Brothers Theme’ with the band.”
Evidence of his talent, this young musician has played tenor sax in the All-Virginia Symphonic Band for two years and either tenor or baritone sax in his District Honor Band over four years. At Madison, not only did he play in the Wind Symphony, jazz and marching ensembles, and pit orchestra, he organized the pit orchestras for the school musicals. On top of his sax endeavors, he studies clarinet and recorder, played a year of violin, and founded and is president of a student recorder club.
He explains why he chose sax: “I loved the sound of the alto sax. Then I wanted to play tenor and realized that I love the different saxophone voices.” Aliferis has developed his saxophone skills under the tutelage of Steve Temme, a member of the United States Marine Band, the President’s Own. Next year he plans to study Saxophone performance in college.
Academically, Aliferis is a National Merit Semifinalist and an AP Scholar with Honor with a better than 4.0 GPA. When not immersed in music and studying, Christian plays serious competitive chess, having scored near the top in the Virginia Scholastic Chess Championship, competed in numerous tournaments, and participated in the Madison Chess Club, and he teaches chess to young students.
This is the 24th year that the City of Fairfax Band Association has sponsored the Young Artist Competition to encourage the development of stand-out high school musicians who plan to pursue a musical career.
Three finalists competed in the Finalist Recital in March, and the winner was selected by a panel of judges, from the band, who are experts on the competing instruments. More information about the competition is available at https://www.fairfaxband.org/young-artist-competition/.
At the Fairfax Band’s May 4 concert, Alfires will play "Tableaux de Provence" by Paule Maurice, on his Alto Saxophone. In the program, “American Vistas,” the band continues with an aural feast of music that conjures up visions of America from the Shenandoah River of Virginia to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and of both ends of the Mississippi River from the glacial lakes of Minnesota to the Cajun culture of southern Louisiana.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Ernst Cultural Center, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. Tickets are available at the door or online at https://www.fairfaxband.org/.
More Details
“American Vistas”
City of Fairfax Band
7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 4
Conductor: Robert Pouliot
Guest Artist: Christian Aliferis, Alto Saxophone, James Madison High School
Ernst Cultural Center, Northern Virginia Community College, 8333 Little River Turnpike , Annandale
$15 Adult; $10 Senior; Students Free | https://www.fairfaxband.org/