Faculty Profile
NOAH PREMINGER

Jazz & Contemporary Music, Saxophone Faculty

Noah Preminger is a tenor saxophonist and a member of the saxophone faculty at Longy School of Music. He has recorded more than a dozen critically acclaimed studio albums and played alongside many of today’s most celebrated jazz musicians. His far-ranging musical projects include a musical protest piece entitled Meditations On Freedom, the Dead Composers Club series, and work with Mississippi blues musicians.

“It used to be that you’d have to work really hard to find the music you were interested in, digging through bins at the record store or borrowing from your family and friends’ collections. But today’s young musicians have all kinds of music readily available to them, which means they’re getting more of a global influence. 

Longy really encourages that inclusive approach to music, which I think is really exciting for the future of jazz in particular. Whether you’re interested in rhythms from Native American history, or bebop, or blues, there’s a place for you here — no matter where you come from or what you’re developing into.

We have a beautiful sense of community and encourage students to focus on finding their own path. It’s a lifelong journey to create different music and choose pieces that help you develop as an artist. As a teacher, I encourage all my students to consider that, and they have a blast finding things they’re passionate about.

We don’t just dismiss things that are different, though — we learn how to critique them and comment on them. When listening to new music with students, I have them consider what they do and don’t like and then adapt those elements to their own projects. It helps them develop their instrumental voices, hone their tastes, and work on themselves as performers and musicians.

I’m always encouraging students to compose and pursue their passion projects, too. While they’re at Longy, they have a chance to develop new ideas and figure out what they really like to work on. Longy is a great place to do this because we have a really open, judgement-free community.

In the end, Longy does a great job preparing students for the real world. We don’t just give students the basic tools and wish them luck—we provide them a really encouraging atmosphere, one-on-one attention, and access to faculty who have lots of current real-life experience. They meet local players who make their living from music and get perspectives from different generations, which prepares them for their own careers.”

More information about Noah Preminger can be found at noahpreminger.com.