Bennett Parsons

Saxophone, clarinet

Book Bennett Parsons for a groupmuse
Boston, MA
Facebook page
15 Played at 15 groupmuses!

Bennett Parsons

Saxophone, clarinet

About

Bennett Parsons is a multifaceted freelance musician and educator, specializing in saxophone and clarinet performance. After winning the 2019 concerto competition at NEC, he performed the Denisov Sonata with the wind ensemble in Jordan Hall. He returned to Jordan hall later that year to play the Dahl concerto in a re-creation of the wind ensemble’s first performance 50 years prior. An avid transcriptionist, Bennett has also performed his own adaptations of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, and Vaughan-Williams’ Oboe Concerto. He is also a flexible chamber musician, having performed his own transcriptions of the cello sonatas of Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Barber, and Chopin on baritone saxophone, as well as works by Stravinsky, Bartok and Ligeti on clarinet. He is currently the saxophonist of the Kalliope Reed Quintet, New England’s first professional reed quintet.

Music

Classical, Jazz, Latin American, World

I play all the standard repertoire of solo saxophone, saxophone quartet, solo clarinet and clarinet trio. However, I also specialize in transcription and frequently perform the following works on saxophone:
- Bach cello suites (all of them!)
- Bach flute partita in A minor
- Paganini violin capricci
- Mendelssohn violin concerto
- Rachmaninoff cello sonata, E major
- Debussy cello sonata, D minor
- Brahms cello sonata, E minor
- Barber cello sonata, C minor
- Franck violin sonata, A major

I also play "jazz" arrangements of popular tunes by Gershwin, as well as my own variations on the traditional Korean music called "sanjo" (see video below).

Videos

Audio

Bach cello suite no 2 in D minor - Prelude

Edison Denisov, Sonata for alto saxophone and orchestral winds - I. Allegro

Ingolf Dahl, Concerto for alto saxophone and wind ensemble - III. Rondo alla marcia

Past groupmuses (15)

  • Labor Day Afternoon Bassoon and Saxophone Duos!

    Monday, Sep 4, 2023 4:00 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Washington Square, Brookline
    • Composers: Poulenc, Bizet, and José Elizondo
    • Instruments: Reed Duo, bassoon and saxophone
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened 8 months ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Reed Quintets of the Americas - Kalliope's final summer concert!

    Sunday, Aug 8, 2021 7:00 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Boston, MA
    • Composers: Jenni Brandon, A. Marquez, Daniel Cueto
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet (ob, cl, bcl, sax, bsn)
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $10+ at event

    Happened over 2 years ago

  • Virtual Premiere

    Romantic works for Reeds from the 18th-21st centuries

    Sunday, Feb 7, 2021 7:00 PM EST

    • Neighborhood: Boston, MA
    • Composers: Beethoven, Mozart, and Daniel Baldwin
    • Instruments: Saxophone, Clarinet, Bassoon
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $10+ at event

    Happened about 3 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Spiders, Halloween, Día de Muertos, and Dubois with the Kalliope Trio!

    Sunday, Nov 1, 2020 7:00 PM EST

    • Neighborhood: Boston
    • Composers: Jenni Brandon, Jose Elizondo,Saint-Saens
    • Instruments: Saxophone, Clarinet, Bassoon
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $10+ at event

    Happened over 3 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Labor day with the Kalliope Trio!

    Monday, Sep 7, 2020 7:00 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Boston
    • Composers: Bartok, Jose Elizondo, Tchaikovsky
    • Instruments: Sop/Alto Sax, Clarinet/Bass Cl, Bassoon
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $10+ at event

    Happened over 3 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Kalliope Trio performs Jenni Brandon's "Found Objects on the Beach" and other works for Saxophone, Clarinet, and Bassoon!

    Friday, Aug 28, 2020 7:30 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Boston, MA
    • Composers: Poulenc, Jenni Brandon, and more!
    • Instruments: Clarinet, Saxophone, Bassoon
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $10+ at event

    Happened over 3 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Kalliope Reed Quintet final summer concert!

    Thursday, Aug 6, 2020 7:30 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Boston
    • Composers: Daniel Cueto, Becky Turro & more!
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet (ob, sax, cl, bass cl, bsn)
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $10+ at event

    Happened over 3 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Kalliope Reed Quintet performs works from France, Latin America, and french works influenced by Latin America

    Friday, Jul 31, 2020 7:30 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Boston, MA
    • Composers: Poulenc, Francaix, and Piazzolla
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet (ob, sax, cl, bass cl, bsn)
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened almost 4 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Transoceánica with the Kalliope Reed Quintet!

    Sunday, Jul 26, 2020 7:00 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Boston, MA
    • Composers: Daniel Cueto, Jose Elizondo, & Piazzolla
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet (ob, sax, cl, bass cl, bsn)
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened almost 4 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Kalliope Reed Quintet performs Bach, Rameau, and more!

    Sunday, Jul 19, 2020 7:00 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Boston, MA
    • Composers: Bach, Schubert, and Rameau
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet (ob,cl,bcl,bsn,sax)
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened almost 4 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Kalliope Reed Quintet performs two world premieres and more!

    Sunday, Jul 5, 2020 7:00 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: online
    • Composers: Gershwin, Poulenc, two world premieres!
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet (ob,cl,bcl,bsn,sax)
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened almost 4 years ago

  • Virtual Livestream

    Bassoon & Saxophone Duets!

    Thursday, Jul 2, 2020 7:30 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: The Internet
    • Composers: Jose Elizondo, Poulenc, Debussy, & more!
    • Instruments: bassoon and saxophone
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $10+ at event

    Happened almost 4 years ago

  • Groupmuse @ Somerville Loft

    Friday, Dec 20, 2019 7:30 PM EST

    • Neighborhood: East Somerville, Somerville
    • Composers: Beethoven, Braga, Poulenc, and more!
    • Instruments: Duo of Saxophone/Clarinet and Bassoon
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened over 4 years ago

  • Reed Quintet

    Friday, Aug 9, 2019 7:00 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Near Coolidge Corner
    • Composers: Astor Piazzolla, JS Bach, Marc Mellits
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened over 4 years ago

  • Groupmuse at the Canopy Room

    Wednesday, Aug 7, 2019 7:30 PM EDT

    • Neighborhood: Union Square, Somerville
    • Composers: Piazzolla, Bach, Marc Mellits
    • Instruments: Reed Quintet
    • Price: $5 to reserve, $20+ at event

    Happened over 4 years ago