About Steve Duke

Rooted in jazz and classical traditions, saxophonist Steve Duke established himself in contemporary music and improvisation. His work in computer music has earned him international acclaim. 

Allan Kozinn of the New York Times described his playing as, “Stephen Duke played the music with a gorgeous tone and moved easily between, … the Coltranesque leaps and the supple fluidity of the Hodges pastiche.”

Noteworthy commissioned, premiered, and recorded works include “BluesAx” for alto and soprano saxophones and computer music by Larry Austin (Austin was the first American composer to receive the Magistere (Magisterium) Award in the 23rd Concours Internationale de Bourges in 1996) and "Veiled Resonance” for soprano saxophone and live interactive electronics, by Elainie Lillios (Lillios was the first American woman received a first prize in the 36e Concours Internationale de Bourges in 2009).

Duke's album recordings include Monk By 2 with Joe Pinzaronne (Sony/Columbia), and Saint Ambrose with Rodney Waschka II (Capstone). He recently recorded a piano and sax duo album, Passing Through, with pianist/composer Kurt Stallmann (available on  Amazon). Other solo recordings can be heard on Centaur, SEAMUS, Equilibrium, GMEB/UNESCO/CIME, and EMF.

As a teacher, Duke innovated multi-genre pedagogy on the saxophone. He wrote the first article to articulate jazz style technique, "An Integrated Approach to Playing Saxophone," published in the Saxophone Symposium in Spring 1988. In 1989, he developed the first music curriculum in the United States that applied The Feldenkrais® Method to reduce performance stress and heighten performing awareness.

Steve Duke is a Northern Illinois University Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus. He earned a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music at the University of North Texas and is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher. He currently performs and teaches in the Chicago area. Since 2011, Duke has performed and recorded with pianist/composer Kurt Stallmann in the Stallmann Duke Duo.