About Ashley Drago

Ashley Drago (Rutland, SD) is in the final stages of her Doctorate in Musical Arts in saxophone performance with a minor in jazz studies at the University of Arizona. She is currently enlisted in the Arizona Army National Guard as a member of the 108th Army Band. Drago worked as a graduate teaching assistant for the saxophone studios at the University of Arizona and Oklahoma State University. She has performed with wind ensembles, opera pit orchestras, jazz ensembles, jazz combos, and saxophone quartets. Drago received a Bachelor of Arts in music and a Bachelor of Arts in French Studies from South Dakota State University. She spent time abroad in France, where she became fluent in the language and conducted interdisciplinary research incorporating French studies and the saxophone. She obtained her Master of Music from Oklahoma State University, where she partook in the well-received big band album "Solid Gold," featuring acclaimed composer and trombonist Michael Dease. Drago has performed with the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra, at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago with the OSU Saxophone Octet, and at the U.S. Navy Band Symposium in Washington DC. Drago has experienced competition success as winner of the SDSU Concerto/Aria Competition and state winner of the chamber division of the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition. She also received honorable mention in both solo and chamber divisions of MTNA in 2017. She has lectured at regional and national conferences and remains an active member of the North American Saxophone Alliance. Her current projects focus on premiering and recording new works by composers Zachary Bramble, Josh Nichols, and Rylande Dodge. Dr. Drago has been teaching saxophone for a decade and continually cultivates her passion for private teaching across various styles encompassing classical, jazz, and popular music. Her philosophy is rooted in methods from various instructors and mediums, offering an array of perspectives to students of all backgrounds. Dr. Drago takes a structured approach to strong fundamentals while helping students reach goals ranging from competitions and auditions to personal development and passion for the saxophone. Her students include beginning and advanced saxophonists of all ages.