Alexa Tarantino is a vibrant, young jazz saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer, and educator. She was named one of the “Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019” by the JazzTimes Critics’ Poll and was nominated twice as a “Rising Star” by Downbeat.

Alexa has played international and US festivals including Marciac, Umbria, Xerox Rochester International and the Rockport Festival as well as iconic art centers like the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Rose Theater, and the Kimmel Center. She has performed as a leader and sidewoman with the Wynton Marsalis Septet, JALC Orchestra, Cecile McLorin Salvant Quintet and OGRESSE ensembles, Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Generation Y and Big Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra.

She leads the Alexa Tarantino Quartet and co-leads LSAT with baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian. The Quartet has three releases to date on Positone. Tarantino has written and recorded works for Sevian’s Bliss, Sherrie Maricle & The DIVA Jazz Orchestra’s 25th Anniversary, and for Cécile McLorin Salvant. Her musical theater work includes The New Group’s Off-Broadway Production of Sweet Charity and Maurice Hines’ production, Tappin’ Thru Life.

Alexa is on faculty for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Youth Education Programs. She has been an instructor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and is a guest clinician for the Rockport Jazz Workshop (MA) which she founded and directed.  During the pandemic, she co-founded A Step Ahead Jazz workshop with pianist Steven Feifke and launched her virtual jazz education platform, The Alexa Approach. She holds a Master’s degree from Juilliard and Bachelor’s from Eastman. She is a Vandoren Artist and Yamaha Performing Artist.

This is Alexa’s first appearance as a leader at Litchfield Jazz Festival. She began as a Litchfield Jazz Camper at age 14 and played with combos whose members were more than five years her senior until she went off to college. The Alexa Tarantino Quartet includes Steven Feifke, piano, Mark Whitfield Jr. (another Litchfield Camper), drums, Philip Norris, bass and Alexa on alto sax.

Feifke is a GRAMMY Award winning bandleader, composer, and arranger. Whitfield is a busy sideman and the son of the great guitarist Mark Whitfield. Philip Norris’ star has been on the ascendant since his recent graduation from Juilliard School followed by collaborations with Wynton Marsalis, The JALC Orchestra, Joshua Redman, David Sanborn, and Veronica Swift. He tours internationally now as a member of the Emmet Cohen Trio.