Saxophonist | Professor of Saxophone, USC Thornton School of Music
Sal Lozano is a saxophonist, educator, and recording artist whose career encompasses orchestral performance, chamber music, jazz, and the motion picture recording industry. His work reflects a lifelong dedication to the saxophone and its expressive possibilities across a broad range of musical traditions.
Currently Professor of Saxophone at the USC Thornton School of Music, Lozano brings decades of professional performance experience to his teaching, emphasizing sound, technique, musical expression, and the development of versatile musicians.
His orchestral engagements include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Pacific Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Pasadena Symphony. His repertoire encompasses works by Ravel, Bernstein, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Mussorgsky, and Britten, reflecting the saxophone's distinctive role in symphonic and operatic literature.
His work with Los Angeles Opera includes productions of Britten's Billy Budd and Puccini's Turandot. Additional orchestral repertoire includes Ravel's Boléro, Bernstein's Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and Shostakovich's The Age of Gold.
Beyond the concert hall, Lozano has maintained an extensive career in the Los Angeles recording studios, performing on major motion picture soundtracks, television productions, and recordings with internationally recognized artists. His credits include West Side Story, La La Land, The Incredibles 2, Soul, and Zootopia 2, among many others.
His professional experience also includes longstanding work in musical theatre, frequently performing in the principal saxophone chair at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
A dedicated clinician and educator, Lozano regularly presents masterclasses and lectures throughout the United States, including engagements with the North American Saxophone Alliance and the International Navy Band Saxophone Symposium.
Prior to joining USC Thornton, he served as Professor of Saxophone at California State University, Long Beach. He studied at Cal State Long Beach with Greg Adams, Leo Potts, John Barcelona, Jim Walker, and Jim Kanter.
Lozano is also a Teaching Artist with Disney's Imagination Campus, where he leads students through an immersive recording session designed to introduce them to the professional experience of performing music for film.
Sal can be heard on a wide range of film soundtracks, including:
🎬 Selected Motion Picture Credits
Zootopia 2
West Side Story (2021)
Crazy Rich Asians
Straight Outta Compton
La La Land
Joy
National Treasure
Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde 2
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (live-action)
Public Enemies
Man About Town
Just Like Heaven
Coach Carter
Higher Learning
The Substitute
Vegas Vacation
Double Team
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Mango Kiss
The Last Shot
You, Me and Dupree
The Further Adventures of Max and Banks
Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Joker: Folie à Deux
The Naked Gun (2025)
Despicable Me 4
Incredibles 2
Soul
Sing
The Secret Life of Pets 1 and 2
Ice Age 5 / Ice Age: Collision Course
Happy Feet
High School Musical 3
The Muppet Movie
Ice Princess
Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Phineas and Ferb
Animaniacs
Pinky and the Brain
Bah Humduck!
He frequently holds the principal saxophone chair at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. His Broadway-style show credits include Newsies, Follies, Grey Gardens, The Drowsy Chaperone, Chicago, Caroline, or Change, and Edward Scissorhands.
Live Performance Collaborations Include:
Michael Feinstein, The Manhattan Transfer, Joe Williams, Chicago, Idina Menzel, Jimmy Kimmel, John Legend, Louis Bellson, Natalie Cole, Christina Aguilera, Michael McDonald, Take 6, Carly Simon, Patti LaBelle, Michel LeGrand, Stevie Wonder, Mandy Moore, Leslie Uggams, Brian McKnight, Michael Bublé, Jennifer Lopez, and Celine Dion.
Performances with Ensembles & Organizations:
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Tom Kubis Big Band, Pasadena Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony John Daversa Big Band, West Coast Jazz Hour Big Band and an Original Member of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
Sal studied at California State University, Long Beach, studying with Greg Adams, Leo Potts, John Barcelona, Jim Walker, and Jim Kanter. He currently serves as Professor of Saxophone at the USC Thornton School of Music where he mentors the next generation of saxophonists and prior was a Professor of Saxophone at Cal State Univ. Long Beach. In addition, Sal is a Teaching Artist with Disney’s Imagination Campus, leading students through a 90-minute recording session that simulates the professional experience of performing music for film
.C.D. Recording
Trisha Yearwood
Jennifer Hudson
Incredibles 2
Paul McCartney
Lady Gaga
Barbra Streisand
Christina Aguilera
Kid Cudi
Natalie Cole
Tom Kubis
Louis Bellson
Monica Mancini
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
National Treasure Soundtrack
Barry Manilow
Lalo Schifrin
Mel Torme Live at the Playboy Jazz Festival
American Idol Compilation
Michael Buble
Wayne Bergeron
Keely Smith
Brian McKnight
Kristen Chenoweth
Maynard Ferguson
The Walt Disney Company
Billy Vera
Landau Murphy
Deana Martin
Michael Feinstein
Robbie Williams
Ray Anthony
Sammy Nestico
Ralph Carmichael
Barbara Morrison
Anita O'Day
Jack Sheldon
Alexa Wilkinson
Television
Dancing With the Stars
Emmy Awards
The Tonight Show
Grammy Awards
The Academy Awards
American Celebration at Ford’s Theater
American Idol
ESPY Awards
CBS's 75th Anniversary Special Taped Live in New York
Latin Grammys
Commander in Chief
Phineas and Ferb
Bah Humduck
Animaniacs
Pinky and The Brain
Touched By An Angel
Brothers and Sisters
America's Got Talent