The Rogue Trio is an innovative crossover ensemble that consists of saxophone, violin and piano. The group regularly competes, performs, and commissions new works and projects around the U.S. Since the ensemble’s creation, approximately fifteen original pieces have been commissioned by and for the Rogue Trio. Additionally, projects submitted by the Rogue Trio were named as finalists for both the 2017 Pave Program in Arts Entrepreneurship grant, and for the 2017 Changemaker Challenge grant through Arizona State University.

The Rogue Trio is an innovative crossover ensemble that consists of saxophone, violin and piano. The group regularly competes, performs, and commissions new works and projects around the U.S. Since the ensemble’s creation, approximately fifteen original pieces have been commissioned by and for the Rogue Trio. Additionally, projects submitted by the Rogue Trio were named as finalists for both the 2017 Pave Program in Arts Entrepreneurship grant, and for the 2017 Changemaker Challenge grant through Arizona State University.

Justin Rollefson

Known for his beautiful, expressive tone and vibrato, Dr. Justin Rollefson showcases the diversity and flexibility of the saxophone through exploring unconventional chamber ensembles. In 2014, he founded the Rogue Trio. In 2016, Rollefson founded the Eos saxophone sextet. In 2017, he co-founded Lotus, a saxophone trio. Rollefson has not only been active in chamber music, but has also appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras and wind groups. Rollefson has performed on saxophone and clarinet in the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. He maintains a private teaching studio in Tempe, Arizona, and is active in outreach programs at numerous middle and high schools throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area each year.

In order to bring new concepts, timbres, and artistry to the saxophone, Dr. Rollefson is extremely active in commissioning solo and chamber works every year. As a classical tenor saxophone specialist, Rollefson is active in commissioning new concerti, solo and chamber works specifically for the tenor saxophone. Individually and as a member of consortiums, Rollefson has been a part of over thirty new commissions, including projects with Stacy Garrop, Carter Pann, Gregory Wanamaker, Carl Schimmel, Matthew Kennedy, Ethan Cypress, to name a few.

Rollefson founded the Eos saxophone sextet to expand the saxophone sextet repertoire through commissioning new works and transcribing string sextets. In 2017, Eos was awarded 1st place in the Chamber Music Winds Division of the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition, and the Bronze Medal at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Additionally in 2017, Eos was awarded First Prize in both The Great Composers: The Art of Chamber Music Competition and the Enkor Chamber Music Competition, and they were the sole collegiate ensemble to qualify as semi-finalists in the Winds Division of the M-Prize Chamber Music Competition.

Dr. Rollefson completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in saxophone performance under the direction of Dr. Christopher Creviston at Arizona State University, where he completed his Master of Music degree in saxophone performance in 2014. Dr. Rollefson’s past instructors and chamber coaches include Dr. Kenneth Tse, Joseph Lulloff, Dr. Andrew Campbell, Dr. Robert Spring, Dr. Joshua Gardner, the Shanghai String Quartet, and members of the Fifth House Ensemble.


Kathleen Strahm

Kathleen Strahm is a violinist, entrepreneur and entertainer. Growing up in Southern Oregon, Ms. Strahm took part in a number of competitions. As an educator, she began teaching private lessons at an early age to a wide range of ages and levels. She has been a teaching assistant in music theory, musicology, and coaching chamber groups. Most recently, Ms. Strahm assisted both Dr. Jonathan Swartz in violin performance, teaching violin lessons at the college level, and Dr. Sabine Feisst in undergraduate and graduate level music history courses at Arizona State University. http://justinrollefson.com

As a chamber musician, Ms. Strahm has performed with the Herberger Graduate String Quartet at Arizona State University and participated in a graduate quartet exchange with the Conservatoire Supérieur et Académie de Musique in Sion, Switzerland. She also performs and competes regularly with The Rogue Trio, an innovative violin, saxophone, piano ensemble. In addition to performing, Ms. Strahm is also an “internetainer” under the name Oddly Noted, creating and producing internet videos and other material that combine classical music and comedy.

Ms. Strahm received a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In 2014, Ms. Strahm graduated from Arizona State University with a Master of Music. She is currently working on a doctorate of musical arts at Arizona State University under the instruction of Dr. Jonathan Swartz. On completion of her education, Ms. Strahm will teach in the university setting as a professor of music, perform as a chamber musician, and continue to promote classical music through humor with the Oddly Noted brand. For more information and some fun educational materials, please visit http://oddlynoted.com.

Mary Cota

Born in the small town of Marion, Alabama, Mary Cota moved to Birmingham at age 11 to attend the Alabama School of Fine Arts as a piano major. While living and studying at ASFA, she won awards in piano competitions from local to international levels – even going on to compete in the national round of the Music Teachers National Association Senior Duet Competition. At the age of 15, she debuted with orchestra, performing Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor.

Mrs. Cota completed her Bachelors of Music Degree in Piano Performance the University of Houston under renowned pedagogue, Nancy Weems. She then went on to complete her Masters of Music in Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University under the tutelage of Dr. Andrew Campbell. Mrs. Cota is currently a DMA candidate in collaborative piano at ASU. She has held the position of Collaborative Piano Teaching Assistant the entirety of her time there. Mrs. Cota has participated/performed in notable summer festivals such as Brevard Music Center, International Institute for Young Musicians, New Orleans Piano Institute, Eastern Music Festival, Texas Music Festival, and Fresh Inc Festival.

Mrs. Cota is a passionate teacher who champions the positive and far-reaching benefits music education has for all people, and places a special emphasis on collaborative piano. Her students have won highest honors in the Arizona Study Program Competition. She is equally active as a performer and collaborator at ASU and in the greater Pheonix area.
http://marycotapiano.com

Justin Rollefson, Samuel Detweiler, and Kristen Zelenak co-founded Lotus in the fall of 2017. Being one of the only active saxophone trios in the world, the trio desires to advance and expand the current repertoire for saxophone trio. In their first year together, Lotus commissioned seven original works from composers Matthew Kennedy, Spencer Arias, Ethan Cypress, and others. In addition, members of Lotus have created original arrangements of compositions ranging in style from the baroque era to pieces written in the twentieth-century. Recently, Lotus was selected as a semi-finalist ensemble in the M-Prize Chamber Music Competition and will be competing in early May of 2018.

Kristen Zelenak

Kristen Zelenak is an active soloist, chamber musician, and teacher from New Baltimore, Michigan. She has won multiple awards including the Central Michigan University’s 2012 Concerto Competition.

Ms. Zelenak was the soprano saxophonist of the Auteur Saxophone Quartet, which took first prize in the Coltman Chamber Music Competition in March of 2015. This quartet was also a Quarter Finalist in the 2015 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Kristen is currently the soprano and baritone saxophonist in the saxophone trio, Lotus. She is also the baritone saxophonist of the Seyon Quartet. Both groups are based in Tempe, AZ.

Ms. Zelenak is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in saxophone performance at Arizona State University. After completing her Masters of Music degree at Michigan State University, she was an Assistant Band Director for two years in Huntsville, TX. She received her Bachelors in Music Education at Central Michigan University. Her teachers include Christopher Creviston, Joseph Lulloff, and John Nichol.

The Rogue Trio and Lotus share a debut CD with original works written by Theo Chandler, Spencer Arias, Zachary Green, Graham Cohen, David "Clay" Mettens, and Matthew Kennedy.