Colin Crake

Colin Crake is a saxophonist, pedagogue, and arts administrator based in Rochester, NY.

Presenting a wide variety of aesthetics, from baroque transcriptions to world premieres, Colin’s programs reflect his passion for promoting the saxophone as an instrument worth serious consideration in the classical music industry. As a soloist, Colin is a multi-award-winning saxophonist, having received prizes at the national and international levels. As an arranger and admirer of the classical music tradition, Colin actively researches works by under-represented composers from the past to promote in his programs through adaptations for the saxophone, having arranged and performed works by Lili Boulanger, Amy Beach, and Astor Piazzolla. Colin’s list of world premieres includes works by a range of artists, from emerging to established composers, including John Mackey, Jennifer Higdon, Roshanne Etezady, Bajinder Sehkon, and Jeremy Howell. As a passionate chamber musician, Colin has been a member of numerous saxophone quartets and other chamber groups. Most notable is his membership in the internationally recognized Eastman Saxophone Project, where he served as Assistant Director.

In 2022, Colin co-founded the Hana Hou Music Program, whose mission is to develop, advocate, and provide music education in Maui, Hawai’i, and to serve as a free musical resource to the community regardless of background, artistic ability, or economic circumstance. In their inaugural season, the Hana Hou Music Program visited numerous elementary, middle, and high schools to present free clinics and presentations to students. They collaborated with youth music programs on the island and presented several free concerts for the community. In the Hana Hou Music Program, Colin serves as the organization’s Executive Director, a saxophone clinician, and a performing artist.

Colin recently completed coursework for a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, under the tutelage of Prof. Chien-Kwan Lin. He is a graduate of the Conservatoire royale de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium, where he studied with French saxophonist and composer Vincent David and received his Masters in Music. Colin is currently the Adjunct Professor of Saxophone at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY.

More information about Colin can be found at: www.colincrake.com