Great Players U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium January 9-10, 2026 GMU Fairfax Virginia

[Grumps]

The U.S. Navy Band Saxophone Symposium will be held January 9-10, 2026 at George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia. What is this about? What will you get to do? Well, here it is:

1) A weekend of saxophone. Saxophone players. Saxophone techs. Saxophone groups. Saxophone clinics. Saxophone performances at various campus venues from noon Friday until Saturday night.
2) A Friday night performance by the Navy Concert band and a Saturday night performance by the Commodores (the Navy big band), both nights with featured guests and artists.
3) Renowned players who've performed in the past with the Navy bands and given on site clinics include Eddie Daniels, Branford Marsalis, Melissa Aldana, Donny McCaslin, Chris Potter, Grover Washington Jr., Vincent David, Claude Delangle, Jean-Yves Fourmeau, Timothy McAllister, Otis Murphy, Valentine Michaud, Quatuor Habanera, and Donald Sinta.
4) A vendor room with multiple dealers of horns, mouthpieces, music and accessories. You'll find pretty much every new horn out there from all the big manufacturers including Selmer, Yanagisawa, Yamaha, Eastman, P. Mauriat , R&C and more. And if you bring your mouthpieces, you'll get to play them.
5) The cost? Free. Absolutely free. And if that doesn't convince you then let me offer this last option:
6) A chance to party with Grumps. Like big time. Epic opportunity. We even tailgate, regardless of weather.

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www.navyband.navy.mil

 

[ESJohn]

Oh, that band is awesome! I got to hear them live back in 2023. It's probably above my skill level but that would be something to witness!
Hmmm...... only a day's journey away.

 

[Grumps]

Oh, it's worth driving to, or even flying to. I've met online buddies from all over the country there over the years and some from other countries as well. I'm only about an hour and a half away with traffic, but I get a hotel room for the weekend and have at it. Last two Symposiums Martysax made the trip from Boston... and that's saying something because he's the only saxophonist I know with someone else's heart. He drives even.

 

[ESJohn]

Well, I still have my original heart, but the aortic valve has a serial number.
Believe it or not, I made hotel reservations this afternoon. That said, the PA turnpike isn't the greatest place to be in January so I will be keeping tabs on the weather. So, it is "penciled in" at this point with a big eraser on top. There's nothing like that around here. Our bands' organization has annual band camps that last a full week, I don't think I'll ever make any of those as that is a huge commitment of time.
Sounds vaguely like the hardware shows that I attended in my working days. Vendors, entertainment, seminars and celebrities from time to time. Of course, being able to speak with some of the best out there is very tempting! We'll see how things develop!

 

[GCinCT]

I am seriously considering heading down. Just under a 6-hour drive. Easily manageable, especially considering I drive down to Georgia to my daughter and her family every year.

 

[wakyct]

I would be stoked to go to something like this but my holiday East Coast trips usually have me going back west by New Year's. I was also looking at the JEN conference that happens around then -- in New Orleans next year and Louisville KY in 2027.

 

[Grumps]

To anyone going, make certain you bring along your mouthpieces/reeds to test play horns. They should be announcing guest performers within the next couple of months and then they'll post a timeline of all the events a couple weeks before the event to show where everything will be around campus. Though the main theatre is incredible, there is a smaller stage/auditorium on campus called the Harris Theatre which is my favorite venue to catch performances; and unlike the main theatre has shows running throughout the day Friday. Many of the big name clinics do take place in the main theatre, and some you can bring a horn with you if you've got the nerve. The third floor of the main auditorium features college quartet performances from schools all over the country, with a new group every half hour for the duration of the event. Then there are a couple other spots for performances/lectures/clinics, but they're like classrooms and sometimes fill up quickly if it's something popular.

Back in the day we'd organize more formal meetups and even jams outside the events, but now I don't even bring a horn with me and maybe only one or two mouthpieces if there's really something I'd want to try out. They've had the new Selmers there, both alto and tenor, for the last two Symposiums. Signature, Premiere... whatever they were. Considering the price, I was almost afraid to pick them up; especially with Martysax right next to me. Tell you the truth though, I spend less and less time in the vendor room and more and more time catching performances these days. Still, you will not be disappointed. Just get there early on Saturday if you want to hear yourself. Friday afternoon is a better day for it as the vendor room is now open both days.

 

[Grumps]

Special guests have been announced for the Symposium. Unfortunately, I have no idea who any of them are:

Makoto Hondo
Steven Banks
Carrie Koffman
Walter Smith III
Rahsaan Barber

 

[PigSquealer]

Special guests have been announced for the Symposium. Unfortunately, I have no idea who any of them are:

Makoto Hondo
Steven Banks
Carrie Koffman
Walter Smith III
Rahsaan Barber

They are all top preforming C Melody players🤪 That’s why you don’t know them 🤣

 

[ESJohn]

Makoto Hondo--Baritone.