Performing as a quartet is such a rewarding experience and the intimate musical relationships that we have developed as a group are undeniable. We have performed, competed, rehearsed, and recorded together for almost four years now. Now that we feel that we truly know ourselves as an ensemble, we are excited to be branching out and looking to collaborate with other musicians and ensembles that share our aesthetic and that we love to be around!
At the 2016 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference in Lubbock, TX, we premiered Joel Love’s “Three Images” for saxophone octet with the Barkada Quartet (check out their website!) and performed Jun Nagao’s “Rhapsody on Carmen” for saxophone quartet and piano with Dr. Jacob Coleman (Dr. Coleman’s Faculty Page!). Both of these experiences were so much more than just a great performance.
Jacob Coleman is a great friend of ours and a fabulous collaborative pianist at the IU Jacobs School of Music. As individuals, several of us have performed solo works with him and even taken his class on collaboration techniques. As wind players, and especially saxophonists, we are always extremely excited to find pianists that want to play with us as much as we love to perform with them. We are thankful that he came all the way down to Texas to share his wonderful talents with us and the saxophone community!
The Kenari and Barkada quartets have been great friends and colleagues for years now, and to have a chance to bring a new work into the musical world together was nothing but pure fun. We were all in school at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music together. Many of us have lived together, had classes together, and supported each other at recitals and other performances over the years. Rehearsals were full of laughter, inside jokes, and thoughtful music making. Our alto saxophonist, Kyle Baldwin, says “it’s just so nice to see quartets viewing each other as colleagues and collaborators, and not as competition.” We are very thankful to have had this opportunity, and can’t wait to collaborate again in the future!
Click Here to Watch the Octet Performance!
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