A native of northern California, saxophonist Andrew Barnhart is a dedicated chamber and orchestral musician, soloist and teacher. Andrew has performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra, and performed over 200 chamber music concerts with the Asylum Quartet. He has premiered works by composers including Erberk Eryılmaz, Susan Botti, Polina Nazaykinskaya, David Lefkowitz, John Vidovic, Ryan Jesperson, and many others. He currently teaches saxophone and performs throughout the Bay Area.
As a soloist, Andrew was named a semi-finalist in the 2012 International Saxophone Symposium and Competition (Columbus, Georgia), winner of the 2012 MTNA Young Artist Competition for the state of Connecticut, and winner of the 2013 Paranov Concerto Competition at The Hartt School, performing Jacques Ibert’s Concertino da Camera with the Hartt Philharmonia. Andrew has also appeared as a soloist with the UCLA Wind Ensemble, performing Mark Watters' Rhapsody for Baritone Saxophone.
As baritone saxophonist with the Hartford-based Asylum Quartet, Andrew has performed over 200 concerts ranging from full-length recitals to an outreach program in a state prison. Notable engagements include a showcase at the 2015 Chamber Music America Conference in New York City, a six-day residency with the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire, as well as a full season of concerts, workshops, and masterclasses in southeastern Connecticut public schools as the 2014-2015 resident ensemble for Connecticut’s Musical Masterworks. The quartet has performed at the Boston Athaeneum, the Newport Music Festival, the Traverse City Film Festival, the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, and provides educational music programming to students through Hartford Performs.
Andrew has also been awarded a First Prize at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition (Pasadena, California), a Gold Medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (South Bend, Indiana), and the Grand Prize in the 2014 International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition (Boston, Massachusetts). In addition, he was a finalist in the North American Saxophone Alliance's quartet competition in 2010 (Athens, Georgia) and 2012 (Tempe, Arizona), a national finalist in the 2011-2012 MTNA Chamber Music Competition (New York, New York), and was a winner of the 2012 J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition (Stamford, Connecticut).
Additional performances include Philip Glass' Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra with the UCLA Symphony, Michael Colgrass' Urban Requiem with the Hartt Wind Ensemble, and appearances with the UC Berkeley Symphony, the Mt. Holyoke Orchestra, the SFCM New Music Ensemble, the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the United States Coast Guard Band. Andrew has previously instructed saxophone at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp, and currently teaches saxophone at the Napa School of Music.
Andrew holds a B.A. in Music from UCLA, where he also earned a minor in Music History, and a Master of Music degree from The Hartt School, where he was a member of the honors chamber music program, Performance 20/20. His primary teachers have been Dr. Keith Bohm, Dr. Douglas Masek, and Carrie Koffman.