The Westerlies
7:30 p.m. Friday, February 20, 2026 | Polsky Theatre
Tickets start at $25.
The self-described 鈥渁ccidental brass quartet鈥 takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from west to east. 鈥淪killed interpreters who are also adept improvisers鈥 (NPR鈥檚 鈥淔resh Air鈥), 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.鈥 (NPR Music).
- Riley Mulherkar, Trumpet
- Chloe Rowlands, Trumpet
- Andy Clausen, Trombone
- Addison Maye-Saxon, Trombone
Since their inception, the ensemble has produced 10 critically acclaimed albums of genre-defying music. 2023 saw the release of their fifth studio album, entitled “Move,” featuring music of new music icons Caroline Shaw and Nico Muhly, on the ensemble’s in-house record label. Sought-after collaborators, The Westerlies are featured on recordings by Fleet Foxes, Big Red Machine, Common, Theo Bleckmann, Aoife O’Donovan, and Conrad Tao. Their work with Tao recently led to the commission of “Concerto for Westerlies,” an expansive and ebullient concerto for brass quartet that premiered in 2023 with the Orlando Philharmonic under the direction of Eric Jacobsen.
Education and community engagement are core elements of The Westerlies' mission. The ensemble has taught masterclasses at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Yale School of Music, The Colburn School, and in 2021, The Westerlies were named the inaugural small ensemble-in-residence at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. The Westerlies also produce an annual music festival in Seattle called Westerlies Fest, which combines evening performances with workshops in local public schools. The Westerlies have engaged students of all ages and abilities around the country with their innovative assemblies and master classes, promoting the values of cooperation and inclusion through music.