Aidan O’Connor
About
BIO
Aidan O’Connor is an emerging band leader, saxophonist, and composer. He is influenced by the likes of Lester Young, John Coltrane, and Sonny Stitt. Aidan plays in a personal style, while still invoking the mainstream jazz tradition.
Aidan graduated from the Eastman School of Music in the Spring of 2019, where he earned a BM in Jazz and Contemporary Media. While studying, Aidan performed frequently with the Dave Rivello Ensemble, brought his group to the Rochester International Jazz Festival, and was part of the Down Beat award-winning “Eastman New Jazz Ensemble”. In early 2020, Aidan toured the country with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, where he earned his stripes performing 5 days a week for crowds as large as a thousand people. More recently, Aidan was awarded 3rd prize in the 2021 Vandoren Emerging Artist jazz saxophone competition.
I believe in a practical approach to studying music and performance. The end goal for all students of music, myself included, is to be able to perform music effortlessly and to be able to enjoy the process. Every scale pattern and etude should be chosen to address a specific deficit with the goal of effortless execution. For my students who are new to their instrument or to improvisation and who do not yet feel ready to perform, do not worry! My goal with my students is to help them get to the point where they feel confident to perform, whether it's for with their friends, at their local jam session, or for a band audition.
Eastman School of Music: BM '19
Saxophone: Rubank Elementary / Intermediate Method, Ferling Etudes, Top Tones for the Saxophone - Rascher, 25 Daily Studies - Klose
Clarinet: Rose Etudes
Flute: De la Sonorite - Moyse
Jazz Arranging & Composition: A Linear Approach - Dobbins