Rob Buckland - Saxophonist

Since 1997 Rob has been director of Saxophone Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, now firmly established as one of Europe's leading centres of advanced Saxophone study. Rob has a team of Saxophone players teaching alongside him at the RNCM: Andy Scott, visiting tutor, who works with all the students, individually, in quartet coaching and classes; Carl Raven, visiting Tutor, who works with all the first years, and takes a series of classes, Mike Hall, who directs the Jazz Saxophone programme - all of our students develop skills in jazz alongside their classical studies in the first half of the course, before being allowed to specialise in the second half of their studies. We also have guest tutor Julian Arguelles, who visits once a term to work on improvisation and jazz techniques, and the college has recently created a post of International Chair in Saxophone to complete this excellent department structure, with Vincent David taking up this post in mid 2010, integrating the RNCM with the excellent tradition of Saxophone teaching on the continent.

We also invite countless Saxophonists into the RNCM to give masterclasses with our students - including in recent years Claude Delangle, Vincent David, the Habanera Quartet, Otis Murphy, Bob Mintzer, Chris Potter, Tim Garland, Snake Davis, Barbara Thompson and many others.

Rob was awarded Fellowship of the RNCM in 2008 in recognition of his work with the RNCM Saxophone Department, the saxophone in general, and pioneering new music performance.

In addition, Rob and Andy are also co-artistic directors of the RNCM Saxophone Day, and direct the RNCM Saxophone Orchestra, which has performed in Berlin, (the only UK Saxophone ensemble to take part in the first European Saxophone Ensemble Festival), British Saxophone Congress, and concerts both in Manchester and across the UK.

For more information about the RNCM, visit www.rncm.ac.uk