The National Music Museum presents Simply Sonatas, a noontime concert featuring saxophonist Jason T. Laczkoski and pianist Brett Cooper performing sonatas by composers DeCruck, Worley, Harbisson, and Lunde. Together, the duo explores music for saxophone and piano, blending elegance, warmth, and range in a program that highlights both classic and contemporary contributions to the sonata form. The performance will feature the Museum’s 1901 Mason & Hamlin CC Concert Grand Piano, a monumental early American instrument celebrated for its robust construction, wide soundboard, and resonant tone.

Jason T. Laczkoski, praised by legendary saxophonist Eugene Rousseau as “a talented saxophonist,” is an educator, Yamaha Performing Artist, and advocate for new music. He has presented masterclasses and performed across the United States as a soloist, chamber musician, and clinician, while also commissioning works from contemporary composers. Currently Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Dakota Wesleyan University, Laczkoski combines scholarship, artistry, and outreach in equal measure.

Brett Cooper, pianist and organist based in Sioux Falls, is known for his collaborative artistry and versatility. A graduate of Luther College and a current master’s student in piano performance at the University of South Dakota, he has performed with regional ensembles including Opera South Dakota, Augustana University, and the Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra. Cooper is also a founding member of the White Spruce Chamber Players, an ensemble dedicated to accessible chamber music.

The NMM Live! Series is made possible by the USD Student Government Association and the South Dakota Arts Council through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

This performance will be livestreamed at https://www.nmmusd.org/nmm-live-video