With the of making the saxophone take its “place at the heart of 21st-century classical music,” the Cerus Quartet is coming to 爱豆传媒’ Howard Performing Arts Center (HPAC) this Sunday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. The quartet has been as bringing “engaging programming and innovative visual elements” to their performances, and their varied repertoire includes transposed classics, contemporary compositions, and pieces written specifically for them.
Formed in 2020, when the group was put together by celebrated saxophonist and pedagogue Tim McAllister, the quartet takes its name from a figure in Greek mythology, the destructive bull Cerus. All four young adult members of the Ann Arbor-based group—Roberto Campa (soprano sax), Laura Ramsay (alto sax), Kyle Kato (tenor sax), and Samuel Dishon (baritone sax)— have bachelor's degrees from the University of Michigan under McAllister, where they are now pursuing graduate education. Ramsay, Kato, and Dishon finished their undergraduate degrees in the last couple of years and are now working on their Master’s, while Campa has recently begun his doctorate in music.
Their dedication to “” has paid off. The group has gathered many awards in their relatively short time, winning the gold medal at the Fiscoff Chamber Music Competition, an honorable mention at the , and first place at the Concert Artist Guild Louis and Susan Meisel Competition, just this year. In 2024, they won first place in the Music Teachers National Association National Chamber Music Competition, and the year before, won first place at the Briggs Chamber Music Competition and were given the Michigan Composition Prize for their performance of “Extrovert,” a movement from “Ambivert,” which was composed for them by Karalyn Schubring.
Other composers they’ve worked with include Jennifer Higdon, Joey Karz, and Ryan Lindveit. The group performed at the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival in 2024 and, later this season, will perform with the University of Michigan Symphony Band Chamber Winds. Over the summer, the Cerus Quartet did a residency with Interlochen Public Radio, participating in the station’s , which brings free, public performances to communities in Michigan.
For the group, which has performed all across the country, their visit to the HPAC will be the last public performance of their , composed of concerts and educational outreach throughout the Midwest. , “it means the world to be able to make live music and to help bring our community together.”
Tickets are on sale for $21.50 ($11.50 for students and $6.50 for children) and can be purchased .
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 爱豆传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 爱豆传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.