Kenneth Foerch

Lecturer in Music; Saxophone
With Pomona Since: 2001
  • Expertise

    Expertise

    Kenneth Foerch is a studio musician, performer, and educator in the Los Angeles area. He performs as an on-call saxophonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has performed under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Zubin Mehta, John Williams and many others. He has appeared with the L.A. Opera, L.A. Chamber Orchestra, L.A. Master Chorale, Pacific Symphony, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, and Long Beach Municipal Band. His appearances have been with some of today’s leading artists, including Herbie Hancock, Elvis Costello and John Legend.  He has performed as a chamber musician for the “Green Umbrella” series of the L.A. Philharmonic and worked with international composers such as Thomas Alves.

    Foerch was a co-founder of the Capitol Quartet, a saxophone quartet that performed throughout the United States with numerous orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, as well as with conductors Marvin Hamlisch, Marin Alsop, Jeff Tyzik and Daniel Hege. He is a member of the Encore Saxophone Quartet, Orion Saxophone Quartet, and a former artist/clinician for Boosey and Hawkes and served as former principal saxophonist and soloist with "The President’s Own” United States Marine Band.

  • Work

    Work

    • Lecturer of Saxophone at Pomona College
    • Associate Professor at Vanguard University where he is director of the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and Saxophone Quartet, conductor of Concert Band, and head of the Jazz Studies Department
    • Performed for SaxFest Internaccional Costa Rica 2015, with the Orion Saxophone Quartet.
    • Recently appeared as soloist with Claremont Symphony Orchestra 2017.
    • A highlighted performance in 2006, with the Capitol Quartet, of the Phillip Glass Saxophone Quartet Concerto with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop, conducting
    • Appeared at the Ninth World Saxophone Congress in Japan, performing with the All-American College Band at Disneyland
  • Education

    Education

    • University of Southern California, D.M.A.
    • Eastman School of Music, M.M.
    • Michigan State University, B.M.

    In addition to teaching at Pomona College, he is associate professor of music at Vanguard University heading up the jazz studies area. He leads the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo and Concert Band in addition to teaching woodwind studies and more.

  • Awards & Honors

    Awards & Honors

    Winner of the Beverly Hills Auditions with the Encore Saxophone Quartet (2016)