Aero Quartet
Praised by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Grammy- winning composer Augusta Read Thomas for their “nuanced, colorful, and artfully sculpted” interpretations, the Aero Quartet is committed to promoting new and traditional chamber music for the saxophone.
Aero’s performances are consistently recognized for their versatility and contrast, with original works and arrangements spanning centuries of musical tradition.
The quartet has won numerous awards in chamber music competitions, including First Prizes at the New Orleans Chamber Festival, Music Teachers National Association, and Briggs Chamber Music Competitions. Most notably, Aero won the Gold Medal in the Senior Wind Division of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. This past fall, Aero completed a residency at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in Boscawen, New Hampshire before embarking on the Fischoff Gold Medal Tour. The tour included performances at Thiel College, the Con Spirito Chamber Music Series, Valparaiso Concert Association, Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, Merrimans’ Playhouse Chamber Arts Series, and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast live on WFMT Chicago.
The quartet’s 2021/22 season will include visits to the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings Nightnotes Series. As major advocates for the music of living composers, Aero will premiere works by Gala Flagello and Jennifer Higdon in forthcoming recordings and concerts.
Aero has conducted educational outreach clinics for hundreds of middle and high school students across the Midwest. We think the mission of these school visits is captured perfectly in the endearing written reflection of a beginning band student from Southbend, IN, who stated, “I personally really like chamber music now, especially if it’s played with saxophones!”
The Aero Saxophone Quartet Returns!
Chesapeake Music’s Interlude Concert Series will present the Aero Saxophone Quartet in concert at the Ebenezer Theater in Easton, Maryland on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 7:30 PM. The group will be performing new and traditional music for the saxophone from their upcoming album release including music of Carlos Simon, Paquito D’Rivera, Alexander Glazunov, Arturo Marquez, and more.
The Aero Quartet is recognized for their versatility and contrast, with original works and arrangements spanning centuries of musical tradition. They have been praised by Pulitzer Prize Finalist and Grammy-winning composer Augusta Read Thomas for their “nuanced, colorful, and artfully sculpted interpretations.”
This will be a return appearance by the group as they were selected to be one of the five finalist ensembles to compete in Chesapeake Music’s 10th International Chamber Music Competition which was held at the Ebenezer Theater on April 2, 2022. Marcy Rosen, Co-Artistic Director of the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival and a judge at the 2022 Competition shared these comments, “The Aero Quartet impressed the judges with their artistry and sensitivity. Had we been able to offer another prize they would definitely have been the recipients! I am thrilled, as are my colleagues, that Chesapeake Music has invited the ensemble back to perform in the Interlude Series.”
Formed in 2020 at the University of Michigan, the group is comprised of Salvador Flores (soprano saxophone), Walt Puyear (alto saxophone), Matthew Koester (tenor saxophone) and Brian Kachur (baritone saxophone). All of the quartet have pursued advanced musical degrees at Michigan and have continued to concertize extensively throughout the United States both as active chamber musicians and as soloists. This has led to numerous awards. Most notably, Aero won the Gold Medal in the Senior Wind Division of the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2021.
Throughout their careers as a quartet, Aero has dedicated much of their time to educational outreach and student engagement by offering music clinics for hundreds of middle and high school students in the cities where they have performed. This has become a core part of their musical mission as they feel that by spreading their knowledge of the saxophone and love of chamber music, they can provide a lasting impact on youth in communities around the country. In keeping with this tradition, the Aero Quartet will be conducting clinics for the students at both Easton Middle School and Easton High School on Monday, April 24, 2023.
