Every two years, saxophonists from across North America converge in one place to perform, teach, compete, and connect. This March, they’re going to Columbus, Ohio, and the 2026 edition of the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference is shaping up to be one worth paying attention to.
Event Details
The NASA 2026 Biennial Conference runs March 12–15, 2026 at Ohio State, hosted by Dr. Michael Rene Torres. The conference opens with a Thursday evening concert on March 12 and closes with a Saturday evening performance on March 14.
This year’s theme: For You, For Me, For the Saxophone. The theme puts personal artistic identity front and center, inviting saxophonists to present works that carry genuine meaning to them rather than just crowd-pleasing repertoire.
Registration is open now, with pricing tiered by age and membership status. NASA members 30+ pay $185 for general registration; non-members in the same bracket pay $250. Those who are pre-college can attend for as little as $55.
Who Is NASA?
Founded in 1976, the North American Saxophone Alliance is the largest saxophone organization in the western hemisphere. (So, no, it’s not the going-into-space kind of NASA).
It’s a nonprofit made up of performers, scholars, and enthusiasts, all united around one instrument.
NASA publishes The Saxophone Symposium, a peer-reviewed journal, and hosts both regional and biennial national conferences each year. It spans 11 regions covering the United States, Canada, and surrounding territories.
What to Expect at the Conference
Attendees can expect a packed schedule: evening concerts, masterclasses, lectures, panel discussions, ensemble performances, and vendor exhibits. Previous conferences have drawn saxophonists and collaborative musicians from around the world.
For artists like Arthur White Jazz, a nationally recognized saxophonist and composer who has presented clinics and workshops at prestigious international conferences himself, events like this represent more than a performance opportunity. They’re a gathering of the wider community that shapes and sustains the art form.
Why Attend the NASA 2026 Conference
Whether you’re an academic, musician, or working professional, the conference offers something tangible: direct access to world-class performers, real mentorship through masterclasses, and a rare opportunity to hear the saxophone pushed across classical, contemporary, and improvisational styles in a concentrated setting.
Arthur White Jazz puts it plainly in his own work: great tracks tell a story through sound. That’s exactly what this conference is built around.
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