SaxItUp was formed in 2015 by Richard. The four of us have worked together for many years, and are all accomplished multi-instrumentalists with a wealth of experience playing in almost every setting imaginable.
We play a variety of music from “classical” selections, contemporary quartets and jazz through to selections of pop songs and movie/TV themes. We are perfect for wedding afternoons, recitals, concerts, garden parties and many other occasions!
Please contact us for further information, availability and fees.
Rachael Dixon – Soprano and alto saxes
Rachael began her musical career at the age of 9 when she started to learn to play the clarinet. Piano lessons followed soon after and she later took up the saxophone at the age of 14. Rachael was selected to be part of the National Children’s Wind and Chamber Orchestra of Great Britain and has also played for numerous years with the Anglo-German Youth Orchestra both in England and Germany. She has toured with various different bands to different destinations in Europe. Rachael achieved a first class degree in Music with Qualified Teacher Status before completing a Masters in Music Performance at the University of Hull. She is also a Licentiate of the Royal School of Music for her clarinet studies. Rachael currently teaches for the East Riding Schools’ Music Service and Hull Collegiate School. She plays as part of the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra and the Frank Cleveland Big Band on a regular basis as well as other ensembles.
Sarah Zobkiw – Alto sax
Sarah began her musical career early, learning to play the flute at the age of 6. She was a member of a number of ensembles in and out of school and took up playing the saxophone at the age of 13. Sarah has played at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Schools Proms and has toured to perform in Iceland. Starting with the tenor saxophone she played this instrument until she went on to study music at Hull University and it was here she started playing the alto. She studied performance and ensemble performance as part of her course, playing in a saxophone quartet and being a founding member of the Hull University Big Band. Sarah went on to get a First in performance and then studied for a PGCE in music at Leeds University. She now teaches woodwind for the East Riding Schools Music Service.
Richard Moore – Tenor sax
A trumpet player in a previous life, but defected several years ago to saxes and clarinet, he has performed across Europe the USA and Canada in a variety of ensembles varying from big band to classical. Richard formed the quartet in 2015 with the help of Rachael, and since then the quartet has gone from strength to strength. His drive behind the group is to bring classical, contemporary and jazz music accessible to all and use the versatility of the saxophone as a medium to achieve this.
Noel Weston – Baritone sax
Noel started playing the alto sax at age 9 in a junior school concert band, and took up the clarinet a few years later to double in swing and big bands. While studying at York University, Noel was offered a position in a working big band – provided he took up the baritone sax in a week! He has played in all sorts of ensembles and settings – big bands, swing bands, concert bands, soul bands, function bands, trad bands, show/pit bands, orchestras, sax and clarinet quartets and ensembles.
Noel currently plays with Saxitup, The Mike Brown Band, Eclectic Music and the Hull Big Band regularly, and plays with other groups from time to time, on saxes from baritone to sopranino. He also repairs woodwind instruments from a workshop in Hull’s old town.
He secretly wants to add a bass sax to the lineup as well… because bigger is always better!