Publicity

The Onyx Saxophone Quartet is  one of the most vibrant chamber music ensembles in the southeast, specializing in the presentation of music drawn from the substantial repertoire for four saxophones. An exciting chamber ensemble capable of tremendous variety, subtlety and power, the saxophone quartet is one of the most versatile musical ensembles active today.   Presenting a varied mix of concert music ideal for community concert series, schools, colleges and universities, the Onyx Saxophone Quartet was received with great acclaim in their first season of concerto and chamber performances in Fall 2010.   Members of the group have over 40 years of collective professional solo and chamber music experience. Individually they have performed in over 10 countries and throughout the United States. Their current collaboration has resulted in chamber music experiences of unparalleled musical sensitivity, characterized by a deep, rich tone, and lively audience interactions.


Jonathan Helton, soprano saxophone 
Concert saxophonist Jonathan Helton has been heard in performance throughout the United States, Canada, in Europe and the Far East, appearing with orchestras and wind ensembles, in recital, and in numerous chamber concerts. He has performed in Paris, London, Athens, Beijing, Tianjin, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Santiago, Bogota, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Miami, and at New York City’s Lincoln Center. His performance credits include concerto appearances with the New Philharmonia of Riverside in New York City, the Chicago Arts Orchestra, the Winston-Salem (NC) Symphony, the Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Center for New Music (Iowa), the United States Air Force Tactical Air Command Band, and the Twelfth and Fifteenth World Saxophone Congress Wind Orchestras. His orchestral experience includes performances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Grant Park Symphony, the Lake Forest Symphony, the Charleston Symphony, the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Dr.  Helton is featured in solo and chamber music performances on compact discs from Centaur, Navona, Windlass, Elf, Innova, Mark Records, and Music from Northwestern labels.
     Dr. Helton holds degrees from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Northwestern University. His teachers include James Houlik, Frederick Hemke, Daniel Deffayet, and Jean-Marie Londeix. From 1992 to 1999 he served on the faculty at Northwestern University teaching saxophone and chamber music, and held an administrative position Coordinating the Wind and Percussion Programs. Helton is currently Professor and Woodwind Area Head at the University of Florida School of Music. Jonathan Helton is a Selmer Paris Artist/Clinician, a Conn-Selmer Artist/Clinician, and a former President of the North American Saxophone Alliance.


Gerard Spicer, alto saxophone 
Gerard Spicer is a Ph.D. candidate in Musicology at the University of Florida. His current research focuses on the New York Philharmonic’s Cold War music diplomacy tours under the auspices of the U.S. State Department, with a focus on the 1958 Latin America Tour. He served as adjunct professor of saxophone at the University of Florida for the 2018-2019 school year and regularly performs at conferences and with regional orchestras. Gerard holds degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Western Ontario where he studied with Jonathan Helton and Barry Usher.


Alex Cohen, tenor saxophone
Alexander Cohen is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in music and a certificate in performance. He has been featured in numerous university ensembles including the university wind ensemble, symphonic band, saxophone ensemble, and saxophone quartet. Cohen is active in the Gainesville music community including playing lead alto saxophone in the Gainesville Big Band. Currently, Alexander is working in a physical therapy setting and plans to begin physical therapy school in the Fall of 2023. 


Noah Graben, baritone saxophone
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.