01 / About
“Don-Paul behaves
as a genuine soloist...
He is an artist!”
My bio
My music, inspiration and projects
Praised for his “exceptional skill and grace,” (Brutal New Music Reviews), for his “beautiful tone…powerful performance…and full control on the instrument” (The Saxophone Symposium), and for possessing “the caliber of a soloist with whom composers dream to collaborate” (Brutal New Music Reviews), concert saxophonist Don-Paul Kahl has emerged as a prominent artist combining contemporary performance practice, artistic research, and musico-entrepreneurship. Able to seamlessly bridge American and European artistic aesthetics and practices, having been born and raised in the United States while completing his studies and developing his career in France and Belgium, Don-Paul actively lives and performs between the two continents, fostering artistic connections and creating meaningful cohesion between them.
Invited as a guest artist performer to major European and American festivals, Don-Paul has performed throughout the two continents. He has also had the opportunity to tour in Japan, Australia, South-East Asia, and Israel. In addition to solo appearances at festivals such as Harvard New Music Group (USA), Musikagileak Contemporary Music Circuit (ES), Musica Nova (USA), Unerhörte Musik (DE), MISE-EN Festival (USA), Guarnerius Cultural Centre (SRB), and Arizona Friends of Chamber Music (USA), etc., he has performed with several large ensembles including the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, Harmonieorkest Guy Duijck, Ocala Symphony Orchestra, Leuven New Music Ensemble, and Musa Horti, among others.
Don-Paul has been involved in the commission and performance of hundreds of works by some of the leading voices in new music of the 21st century. He has been lauded by leading living contemporary composers as a “great virtuose” (Chaya Czernowin), as an “artist beyond his time” (John Corigliano), and as “the Cathy Berberian of the saxophone” (Stratis Minakakis). His personal mission as an artist is to bridge the liminal space between composer and performer, actively cultivating collaborations in which both roles are viewed as equally vital to the artistic shaping and realization of a new work. Recent collaborations include works by Ramon Lazkano, Chaya Czernowin, Stratis Minakakis, María-Eugenia Luc, Richard Barrett, Yotam Haber, Chris Dench, Paul Clift, and Guilia Lorusso, among many others.
Don-Paul was a prizewinner at the prestigious 4th Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition. Other notable prizes, including many with chamber music ensembles, include the Supernova Kamermuziekwedstrijd in Belgium, 21st Concours International de Musique de Chambre in Illzach, France, and HUGO - Der Konzertdramaturgie Wettbewerb in Austria. In 2013 he was awarded a prestigious Harriett Hale Woolley Award in the Arts (now part of the Fulbright Program) which supported him for a one-year academic study abroad program in Paris, France.
“Don-Paul has been involved in the commission and performance of hundreds of works by some of the leading voices in new music of the 21st century.”
An avid and staunch advocate for chamber music, Don-Paul is actively involved in several professional chamber ensembles. As the baritone saxophonist of the internationally recognized and award-winning Ensemble du Bout du Monde, Don-Paul has played an integral role in the curation of hundreds of projects centered around contemporary music, with a particular emphasis on commissioning, premiering, and performing new works.
n addition to its dedication to new music, the ensemble’s interpretations of integral repertoire by Iannis Xenakis, Franco Donatoni, Alfred Desenclos, and David Maslanka, among others, have become important references within the saxophone quartet landscape. Their debut album entitled Beyond was released in 2025 with the Indésens Records label. Don-Paul is also one half of the reed duo Duo Entre-Nous with clarinetist Jackie Glazier. As the world’s premier professional duo for this instrumentation, Don-Paul and Jackie are committed to creating high quality artistic experiences while actively expanding the emerging repertoire for this dynamic ensemble. Central to their artistic mission is an extensive commitment to recording and documenting original works for the duo in the pursuit of advocating for this unique instrumental combination. To date, the duo has released two full-length albums in 2021 and 2024, in addition to several singles, with releases featured on the Equilibrium Recordings and SoundSet Recordings labels.
He is also a member of Woodwork Reed Quintet, an award-winning ensemble based in Ghent that performs extensively throughout Belgium’s cultural scene. The ensemble has been particularly active in commissioning, premiering, and championing new works by Belgian composers. In addition, Woodwork has collaborated with KlaraFestival on community outreach initiatives, including performances in healthcare facilities that combine artistic excellence with meaningful social engagement. Lastly, he collaborates with concert pianist Daniel Linder in FLUX Duo. Their mission is to champion original repertoire for saxophone and piano while collaborating with both established and emerging composers, with a particular focus on commissioning, performing, and documenting new works that highlight the rich sonic possibilities of this compelling instrumental combination.
For information on his teaching experience, pedagogy, and philosophy, please see below.
In 2025, Don-Paul earned his PhD in Artistic Research and Saxophone Performance from Leiden University in collaboration with the prestigious DocARTES Program at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent, Belgium. His doctoral research on “Saxophone Without Mouthpiece” investigates innovative approaches to the instrument and is structured in three parts. The first section situates these techniques within the broader historical, ideological, and aesthetic movements of the 20th and 21st centuries. The second offers a detailed and practical analysis of their sonic possibilities, exploring their application and artistic potential for both performers and composers. This section also provides comprehensive explanations and demonstrations of how these techniques transition seamlessly between one another. The third section examines the role of notation, analyzing past compositional and notational practices while proposing new guidelines for future compositional use. The full dissertation is available at www.saxowithoutmouthpiece.com.
Don-Paul’s other degrees were earned from the LUCA School of Arts in Leuven, Belgium, the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt in France, the University of Florida, and Susquehanna University. His main saxophone mentors and teachers include Jean-Michel Goury, Raaf Hekkema, Marcus Weiss, Geoffrey Deibel, Jonathan Helton, Gail Levinsky, and Frederick Hemke. He has additional tutelage in artistic research and philosophy from Marcel Cobussen.
Don-Paul Kahl proudly represents the Henri-Selmer Paris and Conn-Selmer companies as an endorsed artist. He performs on Selmer saxophones and mouthpieces exclusively.
Equipment
Soprano Saxophone:
Henri Selmer Paris Super Action 80 Series III - Selmer Concept Mouthpiece - Ishimori Solid Rose Silver Ligature - Vandoren V12 Reeds, Strength 3.5
Alto Saxophone:
Henri Selmer Paris Supreme - Selmer S90-180 Mouthpiece - Ishimori Solid Silver Ligature - Vandoren Traditional Reeds, Strength 3-3.5
Tenor Saxophone:
Henri Selmer Paris Super Action 80 Series III - Selmer S90-180 Mouthpiece - Ishimori Solid Silver Ligature - Vandoren Traditional Reeds, Strength 3-3.5
Baritone Saxophone:
Henri Selmer Paris Super Action 80 Series II - Selmer S90-180 Mouthpiece - Ishimori Solid Silver Ligature - Vandoren Traditional Reeds, Strength 3-4
Artist Endorsements
