Adolphe Sax

General information:

A remarkable Belgian-born innovator, Adolphe Sax (1814-1894) crafted flutes, bassoons, trombones, ophicleides, bass clarinets, ivory clarinets and other wind instruments but he is best known for his development of the saxophone and saxhorn. Sax was a musician, instrument maker and military figure born into a family of well known brass instrument makers. After establishing a workshop in Paris, he soon made contacts with prominent composers such as Rossinni, Meyerbeer and Berlioz; but as a foreign-born craftsman, he experienced many challenges from French instrument makers.

Selected References:

"Adolphe Sax". The New Grove dictionary of musical instruments. 3 vols. Stanley Sadie, ed. London: MacMillan, 1984.
Parmly, Marie-Catherine. "A Century of Saxophone". Europe (European Economic Community) 28-9 Mar '94
Rose, Al. "The Saxophone: Its Strange Origins". African American Review 29:233 Summer '95

More information on: Saxophone or Saxhorn or Bass clarinet

Last updated by Sam Cronk December 4, 1996