Biography
Saxophonist | Educator | Multi-instrumentalist | Human
Kirby Leitz (he/him/il/lui) is a saxophonist and educator currently based out of Montréal, Québec. His artistic output concerns fostering connection and camaraderie between diverse musical groups and cultures.
Although he is a saxophonist at heart, Kirby has established himself as a collaborative pianist and violinist. He has a record of teaching piano, saxophone, and violin privately, and has maintained functional experience on trumpet and guitar for various performative functions on demand. Kirby’s diverse range of skills distinguishes himself as a flexible educator and pedagogue.
Regarding saxophone, Kirby has performed throughout the United States at regional and national functions. These include the Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, Bowling Green State University New Music Festival, Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and American Saxophone Alliance Conference. Kirby has also performed at several international functions including the Susquehanna University GO study abroad program (Niigata, Japan) and Cortona Sessions for New Music (Cortona, Italy; Ede, Netherlands). He was also a prize-winning performer in the Susquehanna University Concerto Competition.
Kirby holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Susquehanna University (Magna Cum Laude) and a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance at Bowling Green State University, where he held a Graduate Assistantship teaching Woodwind Methods. Currently, he is completing a Doctor of Music in Performance Studies at McGill University (Montréal, Québec), where he is dedicated to studies surrounding contemporary music as well as an exploration of Canadian saxophone performance practice as it relates to Canada’s French roots as well as its American influence. His primary teachers include Dr. Gail B. Levinsky, Dr. John Sampen, and Marie-Chantal Leclair.
