THE WESTERLIES
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The Westerlies, “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (The New York Times), hold a singular space in modern music. From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, this self-described “accidental brass quartet” has upended presumptions of the brass tradition to create music that is “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music).
Comprising Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet and Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon on trombone, the ensemble has relentlessly composed, arranged, adapted, recorded, and toured over the past fifteen years with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.
Across ten critically acclaimed studio albums, The Westerlies have earned “a unique reputation for exploring the emotional textures of American music” (DownBeat), championing living composers and collaborators including Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Conrad Tao, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, and Theo Bleckmann.
2025 sees the release of two major recordings – Paradise, The Westerlies’ “sublime, precise, and deeply spiritual” (DownBeat) reimagination of the Shape Note choral tradition, featuring guest vocalists Sam Amidon and Aoife O’Donovan; and Songbook, Vol. 3, a live EP and concert film celebrating friends and recent collaborators including Fleet Foxes, Adrianne Lenker, Samora Pinderhughes, Anaïs Mitchell, Aoife O’Donovan, Joanna Newsom, Kalia Vandever, and more.
The Westerlies' singular sound and virtuosic skill have also made them in-demand collaborators, playing in studio and live alongside artists from Common to Haley Heynderickx, and on GRAMMY-nominated releases from both Fleet Foxes and Aoife O’Donovan.
Highlights of The Westerlies’ 2025–26 season include performances at 92NY, Big Ears Festival, Newport Classical, SFJAZZ, The New School, Roulette, University of Iowa, University of Maine, Connecticut College, Brazosport College, Johnson County Community College, Northern Michigan University, Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, and Kuumbwa Jazz. Recent touring highlights include San Francisco Performances, Celebrity Series of Boston, Bravo! Vail, Skaneateles Festival, Rockport Music, the Lied Center of Kansas, FreshGrass Festival, Tippet Rise Art Center, Merkin Hall, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as extensive touring with Fleet Foxes, Haley Heynderickx, and Aoife O’Donovan.
2026 will see The Westerlies embark on a major retrospective of American music pioneer Bill Frisell, featuring newly composed works and arrangements; an adaptation of Maria Schneider’s GRAMMY-winning classical song cycle Winter Morning Walks, featuring South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe; a new collaboration with Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes exploring the music of Judee Sill; and a performance of Conrad Tao’s Concerto for Westerlies with The Mannes Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.
Beyond recording and touring, the ensemble reaches over 3,000 students annually through their educational initiatives and workshops that promote the values of listening, empathy, and inclusion through music. The Westerlies have led residencies, collaborations, and workshops at leading conservatories and universities nationwide, including Juilliard, Yale, Colburn, Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern University, Montclair State University, Michigan State University, University of Kansas, University of Iowa, Montana State University, and many others. In 2021, The Westerlies joined the faculty of The New School, where they were named the inaugural small ensemble-in-residence at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music.
The ensemble operates as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit to support their mission to open the ears, touch the hearts, and expand the minds of a global community. At the heart of the organization’s endeavors is the annual Westerlies Fest in their hometown of Seattle. Founded in 2018 to give back to the community that raised them, the festival has hosted over 40 workshops in Seattle schools and presented over 30 guest artists including Haley Heynderickx, Celisse, Samora Pinderhughes, and Kate Davis.
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