Cerus Quartet

Founded in 2022, the Cerus Quartet is dedicated to showcasing the dynamic and versatile sound of the saxophone quartet. With a repertoire spanning contemporary compositions and transcriptions of classical masterworks, the quartet seeks to establish the saxophone quartet as a leading voice in 21st-century classical music. Their mission is driven by diverse, engaging programming and innovative visual elements that captivate audiences.

Their name draws from Greek mythology—Cerus was a wild bull transformed by the goddess Persephone, a story of chaos tamed into beauty. This myth mirrors the quartet’s artistic vision: to reimagine the saxophone as a medium of beauty and expressive depth, deserving of a central role in 21st-century classical music.

Cerus has premiered works by Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Higdon, Karalyn Schubring, and Joey Karz, with a major new commission by Ryan Lindveit coming in 2025. They have recently been named the winner of the 2025 Concert Artists Guild Louis and Susan Meisel Competition and have received the Gold Medal in the 2025 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, First Prize in the 2024 MTNA National Chamber Music Competition, and First Prize and the Michigan Prize in the 2023 Briggs Competition.

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the saxophone quartet includes Roberto Campa (soprano), Laura Ramsay (alto), Kyle Kato (tenor), and Samuel Dishon (baritone).

Program

• Pedro Iturralde (1929-2020)
  Pequeña Czarda (1949)
• Cecile Chaminade/arr. Campa (1857–1944)
  Caprice Impromptu (1914)
  Pastel, Op. 128 (1908)
  Toccata, Op. 39 (1887)
• Astor Piazzolla/arr. van der Linden (1921–1992)
  Milonga del Angel (1965)
• Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)
  Michelangelo ‘70 (1970)
  Saxophone Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 109 (1932)
  I. Allegro
  II. Canzona variée
  Variation I
  Variation II
  Variation III – A la Schumann
  Variation IV – A la Chopin
  Variation V – Scherzo
• Intermission
• Emma O’Halloran (b. 1985)
  Night Music (2014)
• Felix Mendelssohn/arr. Campa
  String Quartet No. 6 in F minor (1847)
  I. Allegro vivace assai (1809–1847)
  II. Allegro assai
  III. Adagio
  IV. Finale: Allegro Molto