Interview with Nick Russoniello
Nick Russoniello
Award-winning saxophonist and composer
Nick Russoniello is a highly accomplished and dynamic saxophonist, composer, ensemble leader and educator. A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Conservatorio di Musica “Giuseppe Verdi” di Milano, Nick has appeared as a soloist or guest musician with many of Australia’s premier arts organisations including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Australian World Orchestra, the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra, The Metropolitan Orchestra and the Acacia Quartet. He has been the recipient of major awards including the ABC Symphony Australian Young Performer of the Year Award, Fine Music Kruger Scholarship and a finalist for the Australian Freedman Fellowship.
Nick’s projects and ensembles (Duo Histoire, Golden Age Project and his One Man Band live looping show) are highly acclaimed, with appearances for the Sydney Festival, the Royal College of Music (London), Musica Viva Australia, ABC Classic FM, Conservatorio di Milano (Italy), Strasbourg Cité De La Musique (France), The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestras and Australian Digital Concert Hall.
Nick is renowned for his high-impact compositions and his engaging presentation style. He regularly gives composition and creativity classes at leading schools and major universities including the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. Nick’s original music seeks to bridge the space between audience and performer. In 2023 he completed a Creative Australia project that fused the saxophone concerto medium with elements of contemporary performance art and audience generated soundscapes. These new works were presented by Orange Chamber Music Festival, Queensland Chamber Orchestra, The Metropolitan Orchestra and Steel City Strings. In 2024, supported by Create NSW, Nick will be premiering and touring his new work Air Mass, an immersive composition for saxophone and live electronics.
Nick holds a doctorate from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, is a Yamaha Australia Artist, D’Addario Woodwind Artist and a Represented Artist with the Australian Music Centre.
Maddy Avagliano: Hello Nick, and welcome to the Notus Winds Interview series!
Can you start us off with what you love the most about the saxophone?
Nick Russoniello: For me, it’s all about versatility. The saxophone can produce such a wide variety of sounds and colours. If you compare its typical sound in a rock band (bright, punchy, loud) with the warm, rich tone it takes on in an orchestra, it can sound like a completely different instrument. That adaptability is such a gift for saxophonists; few instruments can shape-shift in the same way. I honestly believe that any sound is possible on the saxophone, you just have to put in the time to figure out how to make it happen.
MA: What saxophone do you play, and why did you choose it over other models?
NR: I play a Yamaha YAS-875EX Custom alto saxophone with gold plating. It’s my pride and joy. I've had it for over ten years, and it still feels brand new, it’s that well-made! It offers a big, rich sound and incredible versatility. I don't think I’ll ever change.
MA: Why do you play D'Addario reeds? What sets them apart?
NR: D’Addario reeds offer a beautiful and colourful sound. For me though, reliability is the most important thing. When I open a box, I know what I’m going to get. I can perform confidently on almost any reed. That level of consistency is so rare.
MA: Are there any standout pieces of equipment you rely on?
NR: I’ve been playing a Selmer S80 C** alto mouthpiece for about 15 years, it feels like home. I also really love the Yanagisawa SIXS ligatures, they’re incredibly free-blowing. Lately, the Vandoren Universal Harness has been a game-changer. I’ve spent so many hours with a saxophone dangling around my neck and that starts to catch up with you. That harness is amazing, a little expensive, but cheaper than physiotherapy.
MA: What kind of player are you, stylistically or philosophically?
NR: For me, the saxophone is a creative tool, it’s my voice. I trained extensively as a classical saxophonist. I learned so much from that world but these days I don’t really believe in genres. I just want to make music that excites me, regardless of style. My influences come from everywhere and anywhere.
MA: You're also a composer, teacher, and collaborator. How do these roles feed into your playing?
NR: Everything is deeply intertwined and connected. Composing has been the best thing for my saxophone playing. It teaches you how to communicate with the horn and it gives you a ‘behind the scenes’ view of how musical notation works from the composer’s perspective. This totally changes the way you interpret other people’s music. It’s a lot of fun too and I think every musician should be composing and improvising.
Teaching has helped too. To explain something clearly to someone else, you need to understand it deeply yourself. Plus, sharing my enthusiasm with students keeps me engaged and inspired.
MA: You're currently touring Australia with Air Mass. What inspired this project?
NR: Yes, this has been huge but really rewarding. I guess it grew out of the loop pedal project but Air Mass has morphed into an umbrella term for all the solo and electroacoustic work I’ve composed recently. Some of the works were composed with parts for the audience; large soundscapes over which I play. Other movements use live loops and samples. Others still are completely solo. In the first run of Air Mass shows, there are about five new Air Mass movements, but I suspect there will be more by the time tour is over.
It is inspired by a desire to have a rich and colourful show, but with just solo saxophones as the source. A traditional solo saxophone recital only offers a very limited set of sounds. If you combine some ‘extreme’ saxophone playing with audience soundscapes and a little digital help, you have more colours than a symphony orchestra. That’s very thrilling as a composer and performer.
MA: You've worked with the C-Melody saxophone. What is it, and how have you used it?
NR: Yes, the C-Melody is incredible. It’s a saxophone in concert pitch, so no need to transpose. It was a hugely popular instrument in the 1920s. There was actually a “saxophone craze” in the 1920s; millions and millions of people wanted to learn to play the saxophone. The craze was inspired by some amazing virtuosic saxophone players of the era, people like Rudy Weidoeft and The Brown Brothers. Sadly, the C-Melody went out of fashion in the 1930s. It’s gentle and mellow sounding and with the rise of the big band era, the Bb tenor saxophone became a more obvious choice for players. People just forgot about the C-Melody but it’s a shame—it has a distinctive tone. You hear it and you are instantly transported to a different era: the 1920s. I made an album, The Golden Age Project, and I recorded some of the old 1920s classics on the C Melody Sax. I’ve been using it more and more lately with my trio, Trio Histoire (sax, violin and guitar). I have an original 1924 Conn C-Melody; it’s been so much fun to breathe new life into it.
MA: What are some of your favourite pieces of music and why?
NR: That’s such a hard question because there are so many favourites; it changes every day. I often say the Ravel string quartet is my favourite piece but basically anything by Ravel or Debussy completely blows my mind. Stravinsky too, in that early part of the twentieth century. I’ve also been listening to a lot of jazz lately and sometimes think that maybe everyone should just try to play the saxophone like Johnny Hodges from the Duke Ellington band. Stevie Wonder has never been far from my playlist, but you could also say the same of Kendrick Lamar. It really does vary for me!
MA: What has been your most memorable career experience?
NR: I’ve been incredibly lucky to have some amazing opportunities. Performing Cyber Bird Concerto with the Sydney Symphony in front of 50,000 people at Symphony in the Domain was unforgettable. Winning the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Award was a milestone. Playing Boléro with the Australian World Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House and in Singapore stands out too.
I’ve also had the chance to share the stage with heroes of mine. As a teenager I adored Ben Folds and a few years ago, [I] got to do a gig with him. My favourite sax player is Arno Bornkamp, and I got to do a concert with him once too. In July, I’m going to China to do a concerto with the Nexas Quartet at the World Saxophone Congress—I’m sure that one will stay with me too.
But honestly, as exciting as those big gigs are, life just moves on afterward. The most memorable part of a life in music has always been the people; the friends, collaborators, and communities I’ve made music with along the way.
MA: Thank you for your delightful answers today Nick; it has been a pleasure to include you! We are looking forward to seeing you again this weekend at the Yamaha X D’Addario X Notus Winds Looping Saxophone event!
See Nick’s website for more information on compositions, upcoming events, projects and more!: https://www.nickrussoniello.com.au/home