Westerlies Fest 2023: Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet & The Westerlies

Seattle-bred, New York-based brass quartet The Westerlies created Westerlies Fest in 2018 to engage students and audiences in Seattle and give back to the city that raised them.

For the 2023 Festival, The Westerlies return to The Royal Room for two nights featuring guest artists Sarah Elizabeth Charles and Jarrett Cherner, The Westerlies' own album release show featuring opener Jahnvi Madan, and a rare performance with Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet at The Chapel Performance Space.

In addition, The Westerlies will work with hundreds of students throughout the Highline, Seattle, and Edmonds Public Schools throughout the festival week.

About The Westerlies

The Westerlies, "an arty quartet...mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk" (The New York Times) are a New York-based brass quartet comprised of childhood friends from Seattle: Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch 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.

Formed in 2011, the self-described "accidental brass quartet" takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. "Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers" (NPR's Fresh Air), 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).

About Gravitas Quartet

Wayne Horvitz, piano |
Ron Miles, trumpet |
Peggy Lee, cello |
Sara Schoenbeck, bassoon |

Bringing together four uniquely defined voices of new music, jazz, and improvised composition, Gravitas Quartet explores the depths of texture, sonority, rhythm, and ensemble fluidity available to masters with a broad palette. Wayne Horvitz, Peggy Lee, Sarah Schoenbeck, and Ron Miles have been hailed as forerunners of modern music – each journeying from their vast musical backgrounds to redefine the sonic landscape.