ROCKPORT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: THE WESTERLIES

The Westerlies, “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (New York Times), navigate jazz, classical and folk with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.

The Westerlies present a program of living composers whose music they have championed in recent years. Pulitzer-Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s landmark string quartet Entr’acte, the centerpiece of The Westerlies’ 2023 release, is presented alongside the title track from their 2020 release Wherein Lies the Good by Robin Holcomb. The program continues with folk songs adapted from Sam Amidon and Nico Muhly, whose genre-expanding work has inspired The Westerlies since the ensemble’s formation at The Juilliard School over a decade ago. The Westerlies present this body of music with their signature precision and virtuosity, and in the process, craft a sound that is warm and tactile, engaging and expressive, at once familiar and completely their own.

THE WESTERLIES

The Westerlies, “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (New York Times) are a New York-based brass quartet comprised of Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon on trombone. From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.

“Chamber music with bracing melodies and, crucially, an undeniable sense of fun.” LA Times

Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. The Westerlies explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music).

The ensemble has produced numerous critically acclaimed albums of genre-defying music. 2022 saw the release of the Songbook Vol. 2 and Live at TOURISTS on Westerlies Records, the ensemble’s in-house record label. The previous year was a prolific year for the ensemble, with the release of Fireside Brass: A Westerlies Holiday (Westerlies Records), Songbook Vol. 1 (Westerlies Records), and Bricolage (Westerlies Records), a collaborative album of improvisations with pianist/composer Conrad Tao. 2021 also saw the release of This Land, the ensemble’s collaboration with GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Theo Bleckmann. Sought-after collaborators, The Westerlies are also featured on recordings by Fleet Foxes (Nonesuch), Big Red Machine (Jagjaguwar), Vieux Farka Touré (Six Degrees Records), Common (Lakeshore) and Dave Douglas (Greenleaf).

Education and community engagement are core elements of The Westerlies’ mission. In 2021, The Westerlies were named the inaugural small ensemble-in-residence at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. The Westerlies also produce an annual music festival in Seattle called Westerlies Fest, which combines evening performances featuring numerous guest artists, an all-day open-to-the-public creative music jamboree, and workshops in local public schools. The Westerlies have engaged students of all ages and abilities around the country with their innovative assemblies and masterclasses, promoting the values of cooperation and inclusion through music.

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