Biographies
Described by New York Concert Review as "high voltage" and "brimming with lyricism," Duo HaLo is the
saxophone and piano duo of Andrew Harrison and Jason Lo. Praised by Classical Sonoma as "a thrill to hear the
saxophone with colors, range, technical virtuosity, and expression in the style of the great composers," the
ensemble brings a distinctive voice to the classical chamber music stage.
Formed by two California-based musicians with Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the USC Thornton School
of Music, Duo HaLo was created from a shared desire to connect the saxophone more deeply to the classical
chamber tradition. Through performances that combine original works, transcriptions, contemporary repertoire,
and reimagined masterworks, Harrison and Lo present the saxophone and piano duo as a serious, expressive, and
versatile chamber ensemble.
Duo HaLo's debut album, Imaginary Folksongs, released on Azure Sky Records, features music rooted in folk
traditions, song, and cultural memory, with works by Stephen Lias, Florence Price, Lori Laitman, Ryota
Ishikawa, and Jennifer Jolley. The recording reflects the duo's commitment to repertoire that expands the
saxophone's place in chamber music while remaining deeply connected to lyricism, storytelling, and audience
engagement.
Their forthcoming album, reFrame, also on Azure Sky Records, continues this artistic path with works by Paule
Maurice, Nadia Boulanger, Nicky Sohn, Katahj Copley, and Amy Beach. Together, the albums show Duo HaLo's
range: from contemporary and newly commissioned music to historical works newly imagined for saxophone and
piano.
Duo HaLo has presented concerts, masterclasses, and educational programs across the United States, appearing at
venues and institutions including San Diego State University, the University of the Pacific, the U.S. Navy
Saxophone Symposium, the North American Saxophone Alliance, Bargemusic in New York City, the University
of North Texas College of Music, Pasadena Presbyterian Church's Music at Noon, and the Green Music Center.
The duo is equally at home in recital halls, universities, festivals, and community concert settings, offering
programs that are artistically refined, accessible, and deeply communicative.
Andrew Harrison is a classical saxophonist, recording artist, and Lecturer of Classical Saxophone at Sonoma
State University. Jason Lo is a pianist, collaborative artist, Keyboard Area Coordinator at the University of La
Verne, and Music Director of the LA Leather Pride Festival. Together, Harrison and Lo bring a chamber
musician's sensitivity to color, balance, phrase, and dialogue, creating performances that highlight the saxophone
as a natural and compelling voice within the classical tradition.
Andrew Harrison
Jason Lo
Acclaimed for his unique approach, virtuosic performances, and as a champion for both new and forgotten works, Indian-American Saxophonist Andrew Harrison has captured the hearts of audiences across the globe with “electric performances of stunning expression (Classical Sonoma)”, while introducing the world to important voices, and showcasing the beauty and brilliance of the saxophone. Described as a “magician showing off his tricks" (Austin American Statesman), Andrew uses his distinctive style to create a new environment for classical music, connecting the saxophone to its rich tradition, while offering performances that are "high voltage" and "brimming with lyricism (New York Concert Review)." He has commissioned and premiered works by a diverse group of emerging and celebrated composers, including Jules Pegram, Giovanni Santos, Viet Cuong, and Nina Shekhar, among numerous others.
Andrew’s playing, which has been described as "spectacular" (LA Opus) with a sound that is "broad and rich" (The Instrumentalist), has garnered him numerous awards in prestigious competitions, including the U.S. “Pershing’s Own” Collegiate Concerto Competition, the LMC Frances Walton Competition, and most recently the American Prize in Music. He has been a featured soloist with several symphonic groups, including the Cal Poly Pomona and La Sierra University Wind Ensembles, South Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, and has upcoming performances with the Chandler Symphony, Orchestra Santa Monica, the Sonoma County Philharmonic, and the Santa Rosa Symphony. As a chamber musician, Andrew has toured the US extensively, performing at prestigious universities and venues from Los Angeles to New York City as both a recitalist, and with his saxophone quartet, TC4.
Andrew is passionate about mentoring the next generation of artists to find their unique perspectives and to craft a professional journey that is singular and meaningful. Currently he serves as the Professor of Classical Saxophone at Sonoma State University, and previously served at San Diego State School of Music, Mt. San Antonio College, Cerritos College, the French Conservatory of Music, and the Colburn School. As an in-demand clinician, he has presented masterclasses at Southern Illinois State University, the University of Southern California, Webster University, Franklin College, and the New England Conservatory, among numerous others. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and a Masters degree from the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music. Andrew performs exclusively on Eastman Winds Saxophones and is an endorsing artist with them and Key Leaves Saxophone Accessories.
For more information, visit www.andrewsharrison.com
Chinese-American pianist, teacher, and chamber musician, Dr. Jason Lo is an in-demand performer whose diverse talents bring him around the globe. Audiences enjoy his heart-felt and soulful performances in Strasbourg, London, Chicago, Honolulu, New York, Washington DC, and throughout Southern California, where he is based. Some notable performance locations were Westminster Hall, the 2012 London Olympic Games, and Carnegie Hall several times. Dr. Lo often collaborates and travels for competitions, conferences, and concerts for various organizations, such as the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT), Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA), and the International Trombone Festival (ITF). He has been a guest artist and lecturer at Santa Monica College - Emeritus College (SMC), Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), Mount San Antonio College (Mt. SAC), California Lutheran University (CLU), California State University Long Beach (CSULB), Fresno State University (FSU), the University of the Pacific (UoP), San Diego State University (SDSU), California State University Fullerton (CSUF), Wright State University, Ohio University, University of Northern Kentucky (UNK), University of Central Arkansas (UCA), Sonoma State University (SSU), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and George Mason University.
As an educator, Dr. Lo has taught general music, piano, and choir programs from grades K-12 in public schools. At the college level, he has taught and coached private piano, group piano, functional skills, private voice, choir, and group voice. Students are enamored by his musical instincts, kind nature, no-nonsense attitude, and an enthusiastic passion for music by breaking down mechanics of learning. Outside of academia, he enjoys weightlifting, baking, shopping, studying French and Chinese, and plays Percussion and Euphonium with the Gay Freedom Band of Los Angeles.
Dr. Lo is proud to have shared the stage with John Thiessen (Baroque Trumpet, the Juilliard School), Megumi Kanda (Principal Trombone, Milwaukee Symphony), Alex López Velarde (Principal Trombone, la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México), Aralee Dorough (Principal Flute, Houston Symphony), and Maki Mae (America's Got Talent). He has also played under the batons of Sharon Lavery, H. Robert Reynolds, Carl St. Clair, and Bruce Broughton.
Dr. Lo is a graduate of University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, where he completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance studying piano with Antoinette Perry, and conducting with Larry Livingston, with minors in Theory, Instrumental Conducting, and Arts Leadership, specializing in French and American Music. His Master of Music in Piano Performance is also from USC. Previously, he completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance Magna Cum Laude, studying piano with Craig Richey from California State University, Long Beach’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Other piano teachers include Susan Azaret Davies (Cal Poly), Martin Canin (The Juilliard School), Boris Slutsky (The Peabody Institute), and Edie Orloff (The Pacific Trio). While at USC, he served as a Keyboard Studies Graduate Teaching Assistant, and received the Outstanding Keyboard Studies Teaching Assistant Award for 2015.
Dr. Lo serves as the Keyboard Area Coordinator at the University of La Verne. He teaches Group Piano classes, Private Piano instruction, and Ear Training classes.
For more information, visit www.jasonwlo.com