The Marquette Symphony Orchestra is preparing to close its 2025–2026 season with a powerful program that bridges the gap between historical masterpieces and modern virtuosity. In a recent conversation at Public Radio 90’s studio, Music Director Octavio Más-Arocas and 2025 Young Artist Winner Nathan Salazar shared insights into their upcoming collaboration, the evolution of the saxophone, and a shared history that makes this performance particularly meaningful.
This year’s Young Artist competition focused on the woodwind family, drawing a high volume of talented applicants from across the country. Más-Arocas noted that while the pool of candidates was deep, Salazar’s performance rose to the top. The conductor pointed to Salazar’s unique combination of technical clarity and profound musicianship as the deciding factors. Salazar originally auditioned with a work by Tomasi, but he will bring a more contemporary work to the April 11th concert: André Waignein’s "Rhapsody."
Transitioning from an ensemble player to a featured soloist required a shift in mindset for the Michigan State University graduate. Salazar explained that the role of a soloist demands significantly more musical initiative and score study. He hopes to show the audience a different side of the saxophone, moving beyond its jazz and pop reputation to highlight its neo-romantic, lyrical, and technical capabilities within a classical framework.
The second half of the program features one of the most recognizable works in the history of music: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Más-Arocas purposefully paired the "new" sound of the saxophone with this legendary masterpiece to create a balanced, high-energy finale. The evening will begin with a modern fanfare by Arthur Wang (a piece inspired by John Williams and dedicated to his colleagues and teachers at the Michigan State University College of Music), leading into the Waignein concerto and concluding with the heroic, celebratory resolution of Beethoven’s Fifth.
Kurt Hauswirth spoke with Más-Arocas and Salazar about the upcoming concert:
Both Salazar and Más-Arocas have ties to Michigan State University, where Más-Arocas is a professor, and Salazar completed his graduate studies. They previously collaborated on a concerto at MSU, and their paths continue to cross professionally, as Salazar now works at Baldwin-Wallace University, where Más-Arocas also spent part of his career.
The MSO Season Finale concert takes place Saturday, April 11th, 2026, at 7:30 pm EST, at the Kaufman Auditorium in Marquette.
More information and ticket details are available through NMU Ticketing outlets and marquettesymphony.org.
