Ensemble

NAME USAGE: Please refer to the ensemble by its official trademarked name, PRISM Quartet, not PRISM Saxophone Quartet. If you wish to identify instrumentation, we suggest doing so parenthetically, i.e., PRISM Quartet (saxophones).

LONG BIO

Intriguing programs of great beauty and breadth have distinguished PRISM Quartet as one of America’s foremost chamber ensembles. PRISM seeks to place the saxophone in unexpected contexts, chart fresh musical territory, and to challenge, inspire, and move audiences. “A bold ensemble that set the standard for contemporary-classical saxophone quartets” (The New York Times), PRISM was founded by students of the renowned Donald Sinta at the University of Michigan in 1984. In its earliest years, PRISM was chosen by Musical America as “Outstanding Young Artists,” performed on Entertainment Tonight and National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” was a prize winner in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and toured virtually every state in the U.S.

The Quartet was subsequently the recipient of two Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, and featured in performances in Carnegie Hall on the Making Music Series, in Alice Tully Hall with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and throughout Latin America, China, and Russia under the auspices of the United States Information Agency and USArtists International. PRISM has also been presented to critical acclaim as soloists with the Detroit Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra, and conducted residencies at the nation’s leading conservatories, including the Curtis Institute of Music and the Oberlin Conservatory.

Champions of new music, PRISM has commissioned more than 300 works, many by internationally celebrated composers, including seven Pulitzer Prize-winners: Tyshawn Sorey, Julia Wolfe, William Bolcom, Jennifer Higdon, Zhou Long, Susie Ibarra, and Bernard Rands; MacArthur Fellows Bright Sheng, George Lewis, and Miguel Zenón; Guggenheim Fellows Kati Agócs, Anna Weesner, Martin Bresnick, Chen Yi, Mandy Fang, and Steven Mackey; and jazz masters Greg Osby, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Steve Lehman, and Melissa Aldana. In 1997, PRISM initiated its own concert series, now in Philadelphia, New York City, and Ann Arbor, presenting the newest compositions created for the ensemble by composers from around the world.

PRISM’s discography is extensive, with nearly 40 releases on Albany, BCM&D, BMOP/Sound, ECM, innova, Koch International, Navona, Naxos, New Dynamic, New Focus, Orange Mountain Music, and its own label, XAS Records. The Fifth Century, PRISM’s ECM recording with The Crossing under Donald Nally, was awarded a 2018 Grammy for Best Choral Performance. PRISM may also be heard on the soundtrack of the film Two Plus One by Emmy nominee Eugene Martin, scored by Quartet member Matthew Levy, and has been featured in the theme music to the weekly PBS news magazine “NOW.”

PRISM’s concert series and recordings feature a who’s who of contemporary music makers, including BMOP, Ethel, Sō Percussion, Talujon, Partch, Music From China, Opera Colorado, Cantori New York, Network for New Music, and top jazz artists, including Jason Moran, Uri Caine, Chris Potter, Ravi Coltrane, Joe Lovano, Ben Monder, Arturo O’Farrill, and Bill Stewart. PRISM has also performed with the LA Phil, Opera Colorado, The Crossing (choir), the New York Consort of Viols, the Chilean rock band Inti-Illimani, as well as Miro Dance Theatre, Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, and the Pennsylvania Ballet.

In 2016, PRISM Quartet was named by its alma mater, the University of Michigan, as the first recipient of the Christopher Kendall Award in recognition of its work in “collaboration, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.”

PRISM Quartet performs exclusively on Selmer saxophones.

SHORT BIO

Intriguing programs of great beauty and breadth have distinguished PRISM Quartet as one of America’s foremost chamber ensembles. “A bold ensemble that set the standard for contemporary-classical saxophone quartets” (The New York Times), PRISM has been presented by Carnegie Hall, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and throughout Latin America, China, and Russia under the auspices of USIA and USArtists International. PRISM has also appeared as soloists with the Detroit Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra, and conducted residencies at the nation’s leading conservatories, including the Curtis Institute and the Oberlin Conservatory. Two-time recipients of the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, PRISM has commissioned over 300 works by eminent composers, including Pulitzer Prize-winners Susie Ibarra, Tyshawn Sorey, Julia Wolfe, William Bolcom, Jennifer Higdon, Zhou Long, and Bernard Rands, and MacArthur “Genius” Award recipients George Lewis, Bright Sheng, and Miguel Zenón. PRISM’s discography is extensive, with nearly 40 releases on Albany, BCM&D, BMOP/Sound, ECM, innova, Koch International, Navona, Naxos, New Dynamic, New Focus, Orange Mountain Music, and its own label, XAS Records. The Fifth Century, PRISM’s ECM recording with The Crossing, was awarded a 2018 Grammy for Best Choral Performance. PRISM was named by its alma mater, the University of Michigan, as the first recipient of the Christopher Kendall Award in recognition of its work in “collaboration, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.” PRISM Quartet performs exclusively on Selmer saxophones.