Made in Taiwan Saxophone Ensemble was formed in 2013 by Taiwanese saxophonists who have studied in the US, France, Japan, Thailand and the Netherlands and has since held over 50 concerts. MIT has collaborated with numerous great musicians including Marija Aupy, Vincent David, Philippe Geiss, Hiroshi Hara, Gregory Letombe, Masanori Oishi, Nicolas Prost, Alexandre Souillart and the FIVE SAX Quintet. The MIT Ensemble makes it a duty to expand the saxophone ensemble repertoire. In addition to arranging works for the ensemble, the group continuously commissions new works by active composers, including Philippe Geiss, Hao-Yuan Chiu and Che-Yi Lee. The MIT is also devoted to promoting the saxophone in Taiwan and bringing it into the mainstream by holding masterclasses, lectures, recitals and concerts. There are currently more than 20 ensembles and over 200 players that are coached by the MIT. Lars Mlekusch is a saxophonist, conductor and educator. At the age of 26, he was appointed professor of saxophone and chamber music at the Konservatorium Wien University in Vienna (now Music and Arts University of Vienna). Since 2015 he is also the saxophone professor at the Zürich University of the Arts (ZHdK). He has performed throughout the world as a soloist, with orchestras and chamber ensembles. He was a regular guest of the Klangforum Wien and a soloist of the ensemble PHACE. Mlekusch has appeared at the Musikverein and Konzerthaus Wien and the Cité de la Musique Strasbourg. In 2017, he was invited as a guest conductor of the Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt and will appear as a conductor in the following season with the ensemble PHACE Vienna. He is the founder and Artistic Director of both, the Vienna International Saxfest and the Zürich International Saxfest.
Lars Mlekusch, conductor
