Steven Banks

Performer and composer Steven Banks strives to bring his instrument to the heart of the classical world. He commissions and writes music that expands the repertoire for saxophone, and is a devoted and intentional supporter of diverse voices in the future of classical music.

Banks builds lasting relationships with orchestras through his exceptional artistry, reflected in return invitations for the 2026–27 season with The Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He will also make notable debuts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Orchestre National de Belgique, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Banks is committed to establishing the saxophone as a vital voice in classical music by commissioning works that showcase its expressive capabilities. Billy Childs’s Diaspora — written for him — and Joan Tower’s Love Returns mark major milestones in this mission. His growing list of premieres also includes works by Carlos Simon, Augusta Read Thomas, and Christopher Theofanidis, alongside a concerto by Joel Thompson to be premiered in 2028. Banks’s own compositions are also increasingly in demand, earning him commissions from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Young Concert Artists, and other organizations.

Alongside collaborations with his duo partner, Xak Bjerken, Banks has a deep affinity for chamber music, regularly performing with string quartets and orchestral musicians in recital. He is also a founding member of the award-winning saxophone ensemble, the Kenari Quartet. In 2026, Banks made his album debut with Cries, Sighs, and Dreams, performed in collaboration with Bjerken and the Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet.

As part of his ongoing advocacy for diversity and inclusion, Banks created Come As You Are, a community engagement initiative developed to increase representation in concert halls by welcoming new audiences through community performances and affordable tickets.

Banks was the first saxophonist to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He serves on the faculties of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and holds degrees from Indiana University and Northwestern University. Banks is an endorsing artist for Conn-Selmer instruments and D’Addario Woodwinds.