Winners of the 2025 Fischoff Competition Senior Wind Division Gold Medal, the Cerus Quartet is redefining what a saxophone quartet can be. A mix of classic repertoire, daring new works, and music written just for them, this dynamic ensemble is quickly establishing itself as a leading voice in twenty-first century chamber music.
Ahead of their performance at Notre Dame on September 21, the quartet shared their journey, inspirations, and what excites them most about bringing their sound to new audiences. Read on to learn more.
Congratulations on winning Gold in the 2025 Fischoff Competition Senior Wind Division! How has that recognition shaped your journey as a quartet?
We are super excited to have won the Gold Medal at Fischoff this year! Being a part of the Fischoff family as well as this distinct recognition is really special to us and has opened the door for visibility and opportunities through the larger chamber music world. In addition to the competing, performing, and teaching experience that comes from winning the Gold Medal, we are constantly grateful and inspired to be surrounded by the amazing work ethic, staff, peers, and musicians that make up the Fischoff family.
You’re known for redefining what chamber music can be. How would you describe your artistic identity as a group?
Sam: Our mission as a quartet is to establish the saxophone quartet as a leading voice in twenty-first century classical music. We aim to do this through programming pieces that showcase the diverse styles and composers that have written for the saxophone. A defining piece of our group’s identity is the fact that we seek to expand the repertoire that is played on saxophone, which is why we love performing transcriptions by composers who did not ever write for the saxophone.
What drew each of you to the saxophone, and how did you come together to form the Cerus Quartet?
Kyle: I started music in 4th grade on the recorder, and I heard that the saxophone had similar fingerings to the recorder, so I decided to choose the saxophone in 5th grade.
Roberto: I distinctly remember a video shown to me by my music teacher in 3rd grade introducing all the possible instruments that we could choose from once we went into middle school. From the moment I saw the saxophone, I was drawn to how shiny it was and knew I wanted to learn how to play it, ha!
Samuel: I had a background in piano, and in the 4th grade I decided to play viola. However, going into 5th grade, our string teacher (who was my favorite teacher) moved schools, so I decided to switch to a wind instrument to work with the band teacher. Most of my friends chose the saxophone, and I wanted to sit next to them, so I picked the sax!
Laura: Initially, I was drawn to the saxophone because my best friend in 5th grade and I both wanted to be the only saxophonists in our school band. My dad was also a saxophonist and helped to foster my love of the instrument as a young kid.
Group: Luckily, our professor, Tim McAllister, put us together into this group, and as we saw success and became best friends, we decided to continue pursuing it professionally.
Your performances balance classic repertoire with bold new works. How do you choose your programs, and what excites you most about mixing the two?
Roberto: One of our favorite parts about being in a chamber ensemble is that we get to fully choose what we get to play! We choose to program music that we truly love, that we think would be fun to learn, and most importantly, that people might not expect when they hear a saxophone quartet. Hearing audiences’ reactions both during and after a performance is what excites us most about our programming.
What are some of the unique challenges or rewards of performing as a saxophone quartet?
Roberto: One of the most rewarding aspects of being in a saxophone quartet is the fact that we are able to write our own history and set our own expectations for audiences. When you attend a performance, say by a string quartet or piano trio, you know more or less what to expect. Professional saxophone quartets often end up being very unique from each other when it comes to what repertoire they want to explore and program, making for sometimes unexpected, yet rewarding concerts!
How do you collaborate as a group when preparing technically demanding pieces with strong emotional or conceptual layers?
Sam: The first step that goes into learning pieces that are more technically demanding is each individually having a strong foundation on the materials alone. We spend weeks learning pieces alone before playing them together, and we always make sure to listen to many recordings of the piece in order to have a strong foundation of how the music sounds as well as being exposed to different interpretations of musicality. Some pieces that are more ‘conceptual’ or ‘contemporary’ require quite a slow process to merge our four parts together, even requiring us to sometimes learn pieces measure by measure!
You’re pushing the boundaries of what audiences expect from wind chamber music. What kind of conversations or reactions have surprised you most?
Kyle: This summer as residents for the Interlochen Public Radio’s Sound Garden Project, we had the opportunity to play pop-up concerts in random places around northern Michigan, like national parks and gas stations. We were surprised to receive some emotional responses to our playing, even bringing some people to (happy) tears.
Are there any pieces in this particular program that hold special meaning for the quartet or that you’re especially excited to share?
Yes! On this program, Ryan Lindveit’s Living Plants and Karalyn Schubring’s Extrovert constitute pieces that we’ve commissioned, meaning they were written specifically for Cerus. It’s an awesome feeling to share music that was written by our friends!
From unexpected pop-up concerts to world premieres commissioned for their group, the Cerus Quartet thrives on surprising audiences and expanding the possibilities of the saxophone. Their passion for collaboration, adventurous programming, and building genuine connections with listeners sets them apart as an ensemble.
Don’t miss the chance to experience their artistry and energy live on September 21 at Notre Dame!
Cerus Quartet
Discover the fresh, captivating sound of the Cerus Quartet, winners of the 2025 Fischoff Gold Medal. With passion, precision, and a boldly searching energy, this dynamic saxophone ensemble redefines chamber music through classic repertoire and daring new works that challenge, inspire, and move audiences.
