The Westerlies brass quartet returns to the San Juan Islands for an action-packed residency April 3-6, presented by the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival. The quartet looks forward to community concerts and pop-up performances on Orcas and Lopez Islands, an Orcas Island workshop for community musicians, and coaching and playing in Orcas and Shaw schools.
Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from west to east. All born and raised on the West Coast and now based in New York, trumpeters Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands and trombonists Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon are “skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air). 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.
The Westerlies begin their residency on Thursday, April 3, at Orcas High School, working with high school band students. The quartet engages students of all ages and abilities around the country with their innovative coaching and masterclasses, promoting the values of cooperation and inclusion through music. After working with the students, the four musicians look forward to exploring Eastsound, and they may pop into a few stores and cafés to play a tune or two.
On Friday, the quartet boards the interisland ferry to Shaw Island for musical fun with the students of Shaw Island School. While at the ferry landings, they just may serenade lucky passengers awaiting their ferries.
At 1 pm on Saturday, April 5, The Westerlies hold a free Community Workshop at the Orcas High School Band Room for musicians of all experience levels and instruments. Education and community engagement are core elements of the quartet’s mission. The ensemble has taught masterclasses at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Yale School of Music, The Colburn School, and is the inaugural small ensemble-in-residence at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. Please sign up for the workshop before 5 pm on April 3 by contacting Mary Taylor at or call (360) 376-6636.
Saturday evening at 7, The Westerlies entertain Orcas Islanders in a Community Concert at the Grange. The Westerlies explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create “chamber music with bracing melodies and, crucially, an undeniable sense of fun”(L.A. Times). Admission is by donation at the door.
On Sunday, April 6, The Westerlies conclude their OICMF residency on Lopez Island with an afternoon Community Concert at the Lopez Center. Admission is by donation at the door.
After the Lopez concert, the quartet travels to Seattle to produce Westerlies Fest, their annual music festival that combines evening performances with workshops in Seattle area public schools.
The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival thanks everyone who makes this wide-reaching residency possible!
