Andrew Larsen

I grew up in Portland, Oregon, where I played and composed music throughout my formative years. Upon completing high school I moved to Utah to study at Brigham Young University under Dr. Ray Smith, where I earned a BM in Saxophone Performance in 2018. While there, I performed as a member of the BYU Synthesis Big Band as a performer and featured soloist, sharing the stage with the likes of Gladys Knight, Peter Hollens, Konrad Herwig, Ed Calle, Corey Christianson and others. In 2016 I went with Synthesis on a tour of Eastern Europe, where the band and I performed at the Salkrastu Jazz Festival. I can be heard as a featured soloist on the tracks “Laura” and “Downtime” from the BYU Synthesis Album Downtime (2018). On the classical side, I was selected as a finalist three years in a row for the BYU Concerto Competition, played tenor saxophone from 2015 to 2017 in the BYU Wind Symphony, and played principal clarinet in the BYU Symphony orchestra in 2018. In addition to my performances at BYU, I have performed and collaborated with numerous groups and artists on both the Salt Lake and Dallas-Fortworth music scenes, such as my performances with groups led by Utah-based vocalist Emily Merrell, Salt Lake-based saxophonist David Halliday, and UNT faculty drummer Quincy Davis. I also returned to the northwest in 2015 to take part in the Port Townsend Jazz Festival, where I studied with jazz greats such as Terrell Stafford, Steve Wilson, Bob Mintzer and others. I earned my Masters in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas in May 2022, where I played tenor saxophone in the seven-time Grammy-nominated One O'Clock Lab Band under the direction of Alan Baylock. I am a passionate teacher and am happy to take students of all levels, online or in person.

I strive to help my students develop a lifelong love of music, whether they are ten or seventy-eight. I am more concerned with helping my students foster a love for making music than in making them virtuosos. Some of my students are complete beginners, while others are advanced degree candidates. Regardless of their level of musicianship, I want my students to learn what they love and love what they learn.