West Virginia Wesleyan College is pleased to host saxophonist Lawrence Gwozdz on Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wesley Chapel, as part of its continuing Arts Alive! series.

Gwozdz, born in Niagara Falls, New York, has won international acclaim as a "true master of the saxophone" and his performances have been described as "sensitive and technically brilliant." Gwozdz has performed across the globe, having had several television and radio recitals, as well as concerts in the major cities of Asia, Europe, and North America.

Not surprisingly, reviews for this incredible saxophonist are multitudinous. The New York Concert Review states Gwozdz performs with, "...smooth, even tone and cultivated vibrato, the kind of timbre Adolphe Sax most likely had in mind…always with subtlety and taste." Not only is he respected by critics, but by fellow musicians as well. For appreciation of his talents, as well as his translation of the German book, Das Saxophon, by Jaap Kool (Egon Pub., Baldock, England), various composers, including Samuel Elder, Roger Vogel, and Walter Hartley, have dedicated over forty new works to him.

As a Professor of Saxophone at the University of Southern Mississippi, he has established a studio that has a worldwide reputation. Additionally, having been born with spina bifida, Gwozdz is also an advocate for arts for the handicapped.

Admission to the concert is $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens and free with a Wesleyan ID.

This program is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.