About Us
Meet the Fountain Hills Saxophone Quartet
Jeffrey Anthony (soprano): Jeffrey earned a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) degree at Indiana University, where he studied with the legendary Eugene Rousseau. He then went on to receive a master's degree in saxophone performance under Joseph Wytko at Arizona State University, touring internationally with the Wytko quartet and performing in the historic East Room of the the White House. In addition to playing with the FHSQ, Jeffrey serves as the traditional music director at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church (DHPC), and he teaches organ, piano, and woodwinds at Desert Hills Community School of Music, located on the campus of DHPC.
Heather Baldwin (alto): Known as “the Captain” for her service as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, Heather co-founded the FHSQ in 2013 and has been its alto player since the group's inception. Heather is a graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied saxophone under James Forger. She has a degree in English, which she puts to use as the FHSQ’s storyteller and spokesperson. Heather owns Fountain Hills Piano, a thriving piano studio in Fountain Hills, and serves as music admin assistant at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church.
Donna Wilde (tenor): Saxophonist and singer Donna Wilde joined the FHSQ in 2015, augmenting the group’s sound with her incredible vocal talent. Donna earned a music degree at the University of Wisconsin—River Falls and has done just about everything in music since then: show band member on Carnival Cruise Lines, backing singer/saxophone player behind big-name entertainers, public school music teacher, and songwriter. Donna teaches voice, saxophone, and piano at the Phoenix Conservatory of Music and at the Desert Hills Community School of Music.
Dale Nelson (baritone): Dale co-founded the FHSQ and does the heavy lifting for the group. Not only does he haul around the largest saxophone, he also handles the group’s management, to include booking shows, finding new music, and making friends with arrangers around the world to ensure the FHSQ gets first dibs on the best new literature and arrangements. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin—Madison, Dale studied saxophone under Fred Hemke. Dale is affectionately called “The Badgerman,” due 10 percent to his alma mater and 90 percent to his unparalleled ability to badger the rest of the group into practicing.
