MUSCATINE, Iowa — It’s been several years since  2006 Muscatine High School graduate Thomas Snydacker played his saxophone in a local school production. It’s been even longer since he sat in David Sulzberger’s West Middle School band class.

Snydacker and Sulzberger both left Muscatine to pursue their careers, but they met up again June 22 when Sulzberger came to  Illinois State University to see Snydacker perform as a newly recognized Yamaha Young Performing Artist for 2009.

“It was great seeing his progress,” said Sulzberger, who teaches middle school band and vocal music at the Illinois State University Laboratory School in Normal, Ill. “What he’s accomplished is phenomenal.”

The Yamaha Young Performing Artist program is a national  program that recognizes and provides musicians ages 14-21 with opportunities for exposure, scholarships and career advancement.

Snydacker, 21, a student at the University of Minnesota, said he never expected to be one of of the eight musicians selected from the hundreds of students who competed for an award.

When his University professor,  accomplished saxophonist Eugene Rosseau,  suggested Snydacker record a CD for the Yamaha competition, Snydacker decided  that would be a good experience.

Then he received the call from John Wittmann, the manager of education and artist relations for the Yamaha Corp. band and orchestral division.

“He said I’d been chosen as the classical saxophone player for the 2009 competition,” recalled Snydacker.

Yamaha sent Snydacker to a weekend music seminar where he and the other young musicians met with accomplished, professional musicians.

On June 22, the award winners performed for more than 2,000 people at the Yamaha Young Performing Artists concert at Illinois State University.

“It was unbelievable,” said Snydacker’s mother, Melissa Snydacker, who attended the concert with Thomas’ father, Bill. “They received standing ovations from the audience.”

At the reception, Snydacker received the engraved award for classical saxophonist of the year.

The award comes with several benefits.

“The coolest thing is, I can call up other Yamaha performing artists,” said Snydacker.

One of those artist is Jeff Coffim who plays with the Dave Matthews Band and is a former long-time member of the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones band. Fleck is a world-class banjo player.

Snydacker also receives discounts on Yamaha instruments, and the title is a nice addition to his resumè and college applications.

Snydacker will be completing the final year of his bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance and  he intends to begin a master’s program, eventually pursuing his doctorate. 

“My ultimate goal is to teach saxophone at the university or college level,” he said.

In the meantime, Snydacker continues performing with the University of Minnesota Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble and the Glasir Saxophone Quartet.