Acoustic Music Series: Decho Ensemble Livestream

Acoustic Music Series presents: Decho Ensemble Livestream 

Dates Available: October 16 - October 18, 2022

Live Showtime: 2PM on October 16

About: 

Hailed as a “winning combination in every way!”, Decho Ensemble was founded by Sarah Marchitelli and Jacob Swanson in 2011 with the intention of sharing the saxophone as a concert instrument of wide-ranging capability. Critically acclaimed for their “blend and precision”, the ensemble has performed throughout North America and Europe.Presenting on concert series, television, and radio, the Decho Ensemble has collaborated with chamber orchestras, poets, dance companies, and ensembles/instrumentalists in addition to their all-saxophone programming. Decho Ensemble has presented at the North American Saxophone Alliance Regional and Biennial Conferences as well as the United States Navy International Saxophone Symposium. Since 2016 the Decho Ensemble has participated in residencies at Mercyhurst University, Idaho University at Moscow, and with the Ny Musikks Komponistgruppe in Oslo, Norway as part of their inaugural PULS Festival. 

Collaborating with composers, presenting standard repertoire, and adapting early works for saxophones the Decho Ensemble continues to push borders and broaden the saxophone’s voice in concert music. Since 2008, Dr. Katherine Petersen and Jacob Swanson have collaborated on presenting works for saxophone and voice. In 2019, Katherine and the Decho Ensemble participated in a joint residency at University of Idaho at Moscow as guests of the composition studio and Ruby Fulton - Decho Voce was formed. With several composer collaborations underway, Decho Voce’s immediate future includes concert appearances and recording projects. The Decho Ensemble performs on vintage Buescher saxophones built in the United States.

Commended as a “soloist with impeccable taste,” and praised by audiences and composers for his "gorgeous, lyrical tone, spectacular technique, and heartfelt musicality ..." for presenting "the soprano saxophone at the height of its beauty," Jacob Swanson has performed throughout North America and Europe on concert series, television, and radio. Swanson's debut album, Invisible Cities, featured works for soprano saxophone and piano and was met with critical acclaim for "remind[ing] us what a  beautiful instrument the soprano saxophone is ... [performing with] handsome tone, flawless technique, and great musical sensibilities."-ClevelandClassical His second album, wired., featured music for soprano saxophone and electronic medium - nearly all composer/performer collaborations. Swanson has additionally recorded with Andrew Cote as part of his debut album, Ulterior Motives.

Sarah Marchitelli co-founded the Decho Ensemble in 2011 with Jacob Swanson and, in 2018, joined the Megalopolis Saxophone Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Sarah has performed throughout North America and Europe. She serves on faculty at the State University of New York at Fredonia (Music Education/Music History) and teaches woodwinds for Infinity Visual and Performing Arts in Jamestown, New York. Sarah holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Her teachers have included saxophonists Dr. Wildy Zumwalt, Christopher Oldfield, Carina Raschèr, and Harry White.

Soprano, Katherine Petersen specializes in the performance of 21st century music for voice/saxophone and Russian Art Song. Based in Chicago, Katherine performs regularly with Folks Operetta, the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, Chicago Opera Theater, and Transgressive Theatre-Opera. Katherine is also Associate Professor of Voice at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago where she teaches Voice Pedagogy, Song Repertoire, Studio Voice, and Diction for Singers. She holds a DMA in Voice Performance from Ohio State University and a MM in Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College.