Raschèr Saxophone Quartet

The Raschèr Saxophone Quartet is a professional ensemble of four saxophonists which performs classical and modern music.

Like most saxophone quartets, the RSQ features one player on each of the four most common sizes of saxophone: soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone.

The quartet was founded in the United States in 1969 by prominent classical saxophonist Sigurd Raschèr and his daughter, Carina (Karin). Some years later the quartet relocated to Germany and has been based there ever since.

The Quartet has appeared at major concert halls in Europe and the United States, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Opera Bastille Paris, Royal Festival Hall in London, Philharmonie Cologne, Concertgebouw, Schauspielhaus Berlin, Musikverein Vienna, Tonhalle Zürich

The quartet has received strong reviews and was acclaimed as the "Uncrowned Kings of the Saxophone" by the Wiener Zeitung.

Contents

Personnel

Original works written for the quartet

Sigurd Raschèr's tireless pursuit of classical composers led many of them to compose works dedicated to the quartet. The continued efforts by the group after Sigurd Raschèr's departure, combined with the impressive technical and musical abilities of the quartet, have led over 250 composers to dedicate works to the group.

Composers who have written for the group include:

Numerous composers have been fascinated with the combination of the Raschèr {quartet} and orchestra, which has resulted in more than 20 new works for that combination, as well as invitations from many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Gewandhaus (Leipzig), the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, American Composer's Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Philharmonique Strasbourg, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Residentie Orchestra of the Hague, Berlin Sinfonie Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, SWR Baden-Baden, MDR Orchestra Leipzig, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Stuttgart, Radio-Sinfonie Orchestra Cologne, I Fiamminghi and Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. -- Raschèr Quartet's web site [3]

Recordings

Recitals:

Concerti written for the Raschèr Quartet with Orchestra:

Works with unusual combinations:

Offshoot ensemble

The Raschèr Saxophone Orchestra Lörrach, a professional saxophone orchestra with 12 musicians, was founded in 1999 or 2000. It is conducted by Bruce Weinberger, the tenor saxophonist in the Raschèr Quartet, and includes among its ranks the current members of the quartet as well as some former members.

External links