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Ottawa Chamberfest | The Westerlies
July 21, 2023 @ 9:30 pm - 11:30 pm
$59
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 childhood friends Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands (trumpet) and Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch (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. Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create that rarest of hybrids: music that is both “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music).
For their Chamberfest debut, The Westerlies will present music from their new album Move (available for purchase in your favourite format), a bold and ferociously unique vision of brass that exclusively features the music of living composers. Traditional expectations of brass repertoire are overturned as works originally written for string quartet, solo piano, and the human voice are reinvented through The Westerlies’ kaleidoscopic lens. Leading composers of our time including Caroline Shaw and Nico Muhly are presented alongside new works by each member of the ensemble. Imbued with the spirit of improvisation and a folk-like approachability, enjoy an informal atmosphere at Club SAW as The Westerlies present this body of music with their signature precision and virtuosity, in the process crafting a sound that is warm and tactile, bold and expressive, and at once familiar while remaining completely their own.
The Westerlies
