Westerlies Fest: TORCH & The Westerlies

TORCH is a contemporary chamber music ensemble whose original compositions are a playful juxtaposition amidst our heady intellects and our groove-craving souls. The ensemble features Brian Chin on trumpets, Eric Likkel on clarinets, Steve Schermer on double bass, and Ben Thomas on vibes, percussion, and bandoneon.

Seattle-bred, New York-based brass quartet The Westerlies return home to present the first annual Westerlies Fest, a four-day music festival in Seattle from September 20-23, 2018. Combining evening performances with daytime in-school concerts and a weekend creative music workshop, The Westerlies will reach over 1,000 local students in Seattle and surrounding underserved areas to give back to the city that raised them. Full festival schedule at westerliesfest.org

A limited number of $15 student tickets will be available at the door.

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 TORCH

Eric Likkel, clarinets |
Brian Kai Chin, trumpets |
Steve Schermer, double bass |
Bonnie Whiting, vibraphone & percussion