THE WESTERLIES

MEDIA • SPECIAL PROGRAMS • LINKS

ABOUT

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.

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).

The Westerlies’ 2023-24 engagements include performances at Bravo! Vail, the Skaneateles Festival, Rockport Music, the Lied Center of Kansas, FreshGrass Festival, Tippet Rise, and a cross-country tour with singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx. In 24-25, among others, The Westerlies will perform for San Francisco Performances, Celebrity Series of Boston, and will offer a week-long residency at Monctlair (NJ) State University culminating in a performance at Merkin Hall in New York.

Since their inception, the ensemble has produced ten critically acclaimed albums of genre-defying music. 2023 saw the release of their fifth studio album, entitled Move, featuring music of new music icons Caroline Shaw and Nico Muhly, on the ensemble’s in-house record label. Sought-after collaborators, The Westerlies are featured on recordings by Fleet Foxes, Big Red Machine, Common, Theo Bleckmann, Aoife O’Donovan, and Conrad Tao. Their work with Tao recently led to the commission of Concerto for Westerlies, an expansive and ebullient concerto for brass quartet that premiered in 2023 with the Orlando Philharmonic under the direction of Eric Jacobsen.

Education and community engagement are core elements of The Westerlies' mission. The ensemble has taught masterclasses at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Yale School of Music, The Colburn School, and 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 with 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.

As a 501(c)(3) organization, The Westerlies are on a mission to amplify unheard voices, paint new sonic landscapes, and cultivate a global community. The Westerlies are committed to dismantling racism, sexism, and economic inequality in their field, and aim to reflect their values of diversity and inclusion in the music they make and the spaces they occupy.