{"id":513974,"date":"2026-03-04T15:37:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/513974\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T15:37:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:37:07","slug":"groundswell-welcomes-the-quasar-saxophone-quartet-for-vestigial-structures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/513974\/","title":{"rendered":"GroundSwell Welcomes the Quasar Saxophone Quartet for Vestigial Structures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming up this Thursday, March 5th at 7:30 p.m. at the Muriel Richardson Auditorium, at the WAG-Qaumajuq<\/a>, Winnipeg\u2019s GroundSwell <\/a>presents the third concert of its 2025\u201326 season. Titled Vestigial Structures,<\/a> the program features the acclaimed Quasar Saxophone Quartet <\/a>from Montreal in a concert that promises to be as immersive as it is innovative.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The ensemble will perform works by University of Manitoba<\/a> composition professors\u00a0\u00d6rjan Sandred<\/a> and Gordon Fitzell<\/a>, alongside music by Bekah Simms<\/a>, \u00a0Egidija Medek\u0161ait\u0117<\/a>, and a new composition by Groundswell\u2019s National Emerging Composer Competition winner Tokuto Fukuda<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Celebrating more than 30 years of artistic innovation, Montreal\u2019s award-winning Quasar Saxophone Quartet has commissioned and premiered over 200 works and recorded seven albums. Their repertoire spans acoustic and electroacoustic music, multimedia projects, improvisation, orchestral collaborations, and works that bridge classical and jazz traditions. Known for their close collaborations with composers, Quasar continues to push creative boundaries and champion experimentation in contemporary music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a concert that is meant to be heard and fully experienced,\u201d host Chris Wolf noted in conversation with curator Gordon Fitzell and quartet members Marie-Chantal Leclair\u00a0and Jean-Marc Bouchard.<\/p>\n

Three Decades of Collaboration and Innovation<\/p>\n

Fitzell, who curated the program, has known the ensemble for most of his professional life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have been a mainstay and a bright light on the new music performance scene for as long as I can remember,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd really spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the most remarkable aspects of the quartet is its longevity and cohesion. \u201cYou\u2019ve been together for over 30 years with no personnel change,\u201d Fitzell observed, noting how that stability has refined the group\u2019s collaborative approach.<\/p>\n

Quasar\u2019s work extends far beyond the traditional concert model. \u201cThere\u2019s surround sound, there\u2019s video, there\u2019s close interaction between them, there\u2019s interactive music where the computer is reacting to the music that they are creating acoustically,\u201d Fitzell explained. He also emphasized the importance of their technical collaborator: \u201cThey travel with a very talented technician, Vincent, who is really like a fifth member of the group in a sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Marie-Chantal Leclair, working across generations of composers is central to the ensemble\u2019s artistic mission. \u201cWhat I really like is to mix generations,\u201d she said. \u201cSo not to do necessarily a separate project for young composers but really to mix them with more experienced composers.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that the exchange benefits everyone involved: \u201cIt\u2019s inspiring both ways, both for the more experienced and for the newcomers on the scene.\u201d Staying connected to emerging voices also ensures relevance. \u201cIf you want to stay pertinent, relevant as an ensemble, you need to stay in touch with, you know, the new generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working With Composers From the Very First Idea<\/p>\n

One recurring theme throughout the conversation was collaboration at the earliest stages of creation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe start working with the composer at the very first stage, ideally before they start writing the piece,\u201d Jean-Marc Bouchard explained. \u201cSo we know what the idea is there, and they would propose to us some way of getting their ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

If something proves impractical, the dialogue continues. \u201cIf it works, it works. If not, we are there to help find solution, or they have to manage to adapt their idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

That hands-on approach extends to educational outreach. During their Winnipeg visit, Quasar is working with students from the University of Manitoba\u2019s composition department.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, of course, the main concert is something, you know, maybe the first focus,\u201d Leclair said. \u201cBut when you visit a new city, it\u2019s interesting to be more in relation, not just with people that are going to be there in for an hour or two in the concert hall, but to get to interact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharing experience is part of their mandate. \u201cWe think it\u2019s our mandate, mission to share it with the new generation, not to keep it for ourselves,\u201d she said. \u201cI humbly think it\u2019s valuable and I think it would be a shame not to share it with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitzell sees the impact firsthand. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things that I think that immediately hits a young composer is how human and physical the experience is, which is very different than pressing play.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Video Game, Liminal Spaces, and Immersive Sound<\/p>\n

One of the highlights of the concert is Tokuto Fukuda\u2019s Super Colliders II, described as being inspired by video games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would go a little bit further and say that it is a video game,\u201d Bouchard said. \u201cLiterally, but we don\u2019t have like a regular interface, controller. The saxophone as such is a controller through a microphone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quartet controls the on-screen action in real time. \u201cIf we play louder, they go faster. [the balls on the screen] If we play softer\u2026 if we play higher, they go up,\u201d Leclair explained. \u201cEverything that is happening\u2026 is through the sound of the saxophones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gordon Fitzell\u2019s own work on the program, Liminal Spaces, a Study in Five Acts, explores transitional environments. \u201cIt generally refers to some kind of transitional space that\u2019s on the border between being or becoming something else,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

The piece incorporates tightly synchronized video and found objects such as \u201cwalkie-talkies\u201d and \u201crotary dial telephone,\u201d evoking nostalgia. \u201cIn addition to four saxes, we also have four speakers, so we have quadrophonic sound as well,\u201d Fitzell said. \u201cSo it\u2019ll be, as we\u2019ve said, immersive as an experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leclair described the collaboration process as extensive and rewarding. \u201cWe had two extensive sessions of workshops,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter every session, Gordon would go back to his work and refine things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Electronics, Extended Techniques, and Expanding the Sound Palette<\/p>\n

The program also includes\u00a0\u00d6rjan Sandred<\/a>‘s\u00a0Engrammes, a work that deeply integrates electronics.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this piece, the computer is really listening to the performer and reacting exactly to what we\u2019re doing,\u201d Leclair explained. \u201cHere, really, it\u2019s the computer who\u2019s listening to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bouchard emphasized the seamless integration: \u201cPerfect integration of electronics and acoustic sounds. Because we have the feeling of just playing in between us, but there are things that appears behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bekah Simms\u2019 Bug pushes the quartet\u2019s sonic boundaries even further. Discussing playing baritone saxophone without a mouthpiece, Bouchard said, \u201cIt\u2019s using the sax like a trumpet, finally.\u201d He described it as \u201cpart of my tricks and my tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leclair framed these techniques as colouristic expansion: \u201cIt\u2019s just like making our sound palette larger, you know, like adding colors.\u201d<\/p>\n

From blowing air through the instrument to percussive key sounds, the ensemble blurs the line between acoustic and electronic textures. \u201cAt times, it\u2019s hard to tell what\u2019s electronics and how can you make that sound on a saxophone when you realize it is this saxophone,\u201d Fitzell observed.<\/p>\n

A Collaborative Spotlight: Cities and the Next Generation of Creators<\/p>\n

One of the most inspiring elements of Vestigial Structures is the inclusion of Cities, a new work created and performed by students from Coll\u00e8ge Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau<\/a>. Rather than simply interpreting an established score, the students themselves composed the piece, each contributing movements or sections built around the shared theme of urban life. The result is a true collective creation, a musical portrait shaped by young voices exploring their own ideas about rhythm, space, energy, and atmosphere.<\/p>\n

The project is led by band director Brady Gill, a respected Winnipeg educator and musician, whose guidance has helped shepherd the students through both the creative and rehearsal processes. Supporting the students on the compositional side is collaborative mentor composer Kenley Kristofferson,<\/a> who worked closely with them to refine their ideas, structure their material, and prepare the score for performance.<\/p>\n

What makes Cities especially remarkable is that the students will not only perform their own music, they will do so alongside the Quasar Saxophone Quartet, with the quartet serving as featured soloists. It is an extraordinary opportunity for young composers and performers to share the stage with an internationally acclaimed ensemble, hearing their ideas come to life in collaboration with artists of this caliber.<\/p>\n

In Cities, that philosophy becomes tangible: a professional concert stage becomes a platform for student imagination, guided mentorship, and meaningful collaboration; a living example of how GroundSwell fosters the next generation of composers and performers.<\/p>\n

When asked what they are most looking forward to, Fitzell admitted, \u201cThere\u2019s so many things,\u201d before singling out the high school piece as perhaps \u201cat the top of my list.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leclair agreed. \u201cFor us, it\u2019s going to be a new experience,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m very curious actually to be part of this adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bouchard summed it up simply: \u201cTo me, there is one adventure, and it\u2019s the entire concert.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vestigial Structures takes place Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Muriel Richardson Auditorium. Admission is pay what you can<\/a>. For audiences seeking an evening where sound, technology, collaboration, and imagination converge, this promises to be a true feast for the senses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Coming up this Thursday, March 5th at 7:30 p.m. at the Muriel Richardson Auditorium, at the WAG-Qaumajuq, Winnipeg\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513975,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194296],"tags":[49,48,22073],"class_list":["post-513974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-winnipeg","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-winnipeg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}