Allison Adams

Dr. Allison Adams is the Associate Professor of Saxophone at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville. A versatile performer, she has been a featured soloist at venues across the country and has also performed at the World Saxophone Congress, the International Saxophone Symposium, the North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences, and the International Clarinet Association Conference. She is an active pedagogue, frequently presenting at venues such as NASA and the International Saxophone Academy. She is currently authoring a pedagogy book for collegiate saxophone methods courses and band directors that will be available through Oxford University Press in 2022.

Adams is a member of Nief Norf, a mixed chamber contemporary music ensemble that focuses on the avant-garde work of living composers. As the saxophonist of the group, she has been featured on numerous concerts, including at the Big Ears Festival, and also serves on the faculty of the Nief Norf Summer Festival.

Besides her study of the saxophone, Adams’ main area of research centers around performance injuries, wellness for musicians, and the integration of yoga into music performance. A chapter on her recovery from focal dystonia is available in the collection Notes of Hope published by Mountain Peak Music. She has also authored an essay on yoga for musicians, which can be found in the multi-media resource Cross Training for Musicians (available through Mountain Peak Music as well). She has taught several “Yoga for Musicians” courses for students ranging from high school to college. Her focus on wellness has also expanded to include presentations on the anatomy of breathing and how pregnancy affects saxophone performance.

Adams has previously served on the faculties of Ithaca College and Cornell University. She holds a B.M. in Music Education and Performance from Ithaca College, a M.M. in Music Performance from the University of Minnesota, and a D.M.A. from Arizona State University. Her main saxophone teachers have included Steven Mauk, Eugene Rousseau, and Timothy McAllister.

Adams is an artist for the D’Addario and Selmer companies.

Visit allisondadams.com for more information.