Jeremy Ruthrauff is a saxophonist based in the Chicago area active in the concert, jazz and experimental music arenas.  

Freelance work involves regular performances with numerous prominent ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (including concerts at Symphony Center, the MusicNow

contemporary music series, and performances at the summer Ravinia festival), Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Opera Theater, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players (Contempo), Eighth Blackbird, Fulcrum Point New Music Project and the Chicago Sinfonietta.

Jeremy has commissioned and premiered numerous new works by leading composers including a sonata by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Harbison.  Significant recent Midwest and Chicago premieres include Louis Andreissen’s Hout at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Release with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra New Music Ensemble at Orchestra Hall (solo saxophone), Franco Donatoni’s solo saxophone concertino Hot with Fulcrum Point New Music Project, the Chicago premiere of John Adams’ Nixon in China with Chicago Opera Theater, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra first ever performance of Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Symphony No. 9, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago first ever performance of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.  He presented the world premiere of Dutch composer  Jacob TV’s (Jacob ter Veldhuis) seminal work Grab It! in a new version with tenor saxophone, electric guitar, bass, drums and a new film by the composer with the Fulcrum Point New Music Project.   He performed the world premiere of Jacob TV’s multimedia opera The News with Fulcrum Point New Music Project  as part of the Off the Wall concert series at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

Recital repertoire includes classical works by composers such as J. S. Bach and Robert Schumann, pieces from the early twentieth century such as those by Claude Debussy, Paul Hindemith and Heitor Villa-Lobos, and newer pieces including those by Luciano Berio, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Toru Takemitsu, Philip Glass and Steve Reich, among others.

Programs may often feature works from outside the traditional “concert” arena such as those by the great tango composer Astor Piazzolla, avant-garde jazz master Eric Dolphy’s alto solo on Tenderly, John Coltrane compositions and free improvisations.

A prolific teacher, he has given master classes at leading institutions such as the New England Conservatory of Music, American Composers’ Forum, University of Illinois  and others.  Recently, he participated in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s program Harmonia at the National Museum of Mexican Art in which soloists introduced music to children from Chicago’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods.  He currently teaches at DePaul University, Concordia University, Harper College, and the First Conservatory of Music.