Sonoma State Saxophone Instructor Andrew Harrison Challenges Classical Music Traditions with Duo HaLo's reFrame
Sonoma State University saxophone instructor Andrew Harrison and pianist Jason Lo are challenging traditional perceptions of the saxophone's role in classical music with reFrame, an album released through Azure Sky Records. The recording features works by five composers, highlighting the instrument's expressive range while exploring themes of identity, belonging, and self-acceptance.
Harrison and Lo formed Duo HaLo with a shared goal of establishing a stronger connection between the saxophone and classical repertoire. Both musicians earned Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. Alongside his teaching at Sonoma State, Harrison performs with the duo at universities and venues across the country. Lo serves as Keyboard Area Coordinator at the University of La Verne.
The album brings together compositions by Katahj Copley, Nadia Boulanger, Amy Beach, Paule Maurice, and Nicky Sohn. Several works were originally written for other instruments, allowing Harrison and Lo to reconsider familiar classical compositions through the combination of saxophone and piano.
Among the selections is Maurice's Tableaux de Provence, a five-movement work inspired by the landscapes and traditions of southern France. The duo also performs Boulanger's Cantique, originally composed for voice and piano, and Beach's Romance, written for violin and piano in 1893.
Contemporary compositions introduce more personal themes. Sohn's Three Apartments in Houston reflects the composer's experience immigrating to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring isolation, displacement, and the search for community.
The album takes its name from Copley's reFRAME, a three-movement composition examining imposter syndrome and the process of overcoming self-doubt. Its movements, reFRACTED, reFLECTIONS, and reAFFIRMED, trace a progression from uncertainty toward self-acceptance.
An October 2026 review praised Harrison's tone, expressive phrasing, and articulation, while recognizing Lo's sensitive partnership at the piano. The review also highlighted the duo's ability to communicate the emotional dimensions of each composition.
Through reFrame, Harrison and Lo present the saxophone not simply as an alternative voice for established classical works, but as an instrument capable of bringing new perspectives to the repertoire. The recording reflects their ongoing effort to broaden how audiences experience the saxophone within classical music.
View the album: reFrame