Saxophone

Known for writing versatile music that appeals to musicians and general audiences alike, Roger Przytulski is an active composer and performer in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1976, he began his musical studies in San Diego, California, on the saxophone. Continuous involvement in wind ensembles, jazz bands, choirs, and early attempts at composition led him to pursue further studies in music, receiving degrees from Palomar College (A.A., 1996), California State University, Long Beach (B.M., 1999), and the University of Southern California (M.M., 2001). His composition teachers have included Donald Crockett, Frank Ticheli, Bruce Miller, Martin Herman, Stephen Hartke, and John Prince along with saxophonists, Leo Potts, Jay Mason, and James Romeo. During these years, he received many honors including the Hans J. Salter Endowed Music Award, the Robert Linn Memorial Scholarship, the CSU Composition Prize, and membership into Pi Kappa Lambda, National Music Honor Society, as well as being one of eight composers chosen to participate in the 2001 Whitaker New Music Readings Session with the American Composers Orchestra in New York City. As a performer, he has worked with Helmut Rilling and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the American Jazz Philharmonic, the Cypress Pops Orchestra, Pete Jacobs War Time Radio Review, and jazz artists, Dewey Erney and Buddy Collette to list only a few. He has also founded the Next Exit Ensemble, a group of musicians performing music styles ranging from jazz to classical to contemporary. As a composer, his works have been performed throughout the world by various ensembles including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Bourgas Opera-Philharmonic Society, USC Thornton Symphony, Varna Opera-Philharmonic Society, Pasadena Youth Symphony, Bakersfield Youth Symphony, Crossroads Chamber Orchestra, and the Spectrum Saxophone Quartet. Also involved in film, he has written scores for several prize-winning short films that were presented at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood and has had his music appear in documentaries on the History Channel. Currently, Roger Przytulski serves on the faculties of Long Beach City College and the Orange County High School for the Arts. He has served as composer-in-residence for the Pasadena Youth Symphony, Bakersfield Youth Symphony, and LAUSD Honors Orchestra. Przytulski is a member of BMI.