Sips & Sounds - Saxophone Duo

Brett Thole is a saxophone performer and educator in the Bloomington – Normal area. He attended Illinois State University for both his Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees. Since graduating from Illinois State, Brett has played with the Illinois Symphony and Peoria Symphony Orchestras. He has also performed at both the North American Saxophone Alliance and Navy Band Saxophone Symposiums. As a teacher, Brett’s studio has had a student get “best of day” at solo and ensemble contest every year since 2014. Additionally, his students have been selected to participate in the state ILMEA honor bands as well as auditioned winners of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra Scholarship contest!

Russell Zehr is a local saxophonist from Graymont, Illinois. He studied Music Business at Bradley University where he was instructed by Keith Zimmerman. He is a retail assistant manager at The Music Shoppe in Normal, IL and a bi-vocational pastor of First Baptist Church of El Paso, IL. He has performed professionally with the Illinois Saxophone Quintet, Pontiac Municipal Band, Pekin Park Concert Band, Heartland Jazz Orchestra, and Marc Boon and the Day Drinkers. He also plays baritone saxophone with Brett Thole in their newly formed saxophone quartet based in central Illinois.