A cornerstone of the saxophone quartet repertoire, this 1938 work by Jean Rivier received a particularly spirited performance at Buttonwood Park. Despite performing outdoors and losing much of our music to the wind, we pressed on through this notoriously demanding work.

This famously serene and lyrical piece from Act 1 of the 1883 French opera Lakmé by Léo Delibes was performed here for a Mother’s Day concert at 1867 Sanctuary, Ewing, NJ

This is the fourth and final movement of the famous Quatuor pour saxophones composed in 1946 by the brothers Faustin and Maurice Jeanjean. This descriptive and theatrical piece depicts the joyful and lively atmosphere of a brass band playing in a village square.

Fried Bananas by Dexter Gordon, in a special arrangement by John Bachalis written for the Philadelphia Saxophone Quartet, was a highlight of the group’s Newtown Theatre performance. The piece featured solos from Kathy on soprano saxophone and Warren Fioretti on tenor, showcasing the quartet’s signature blend of polish, personality, and local flavor.

Gaieté Villageoise by F. and M. Jeanjean, a lively, characterful work whose title translates to “Village Merriment,” full of charm, wit, and vivid French color, performed by the saxophone quartet at the Newtown Chamber Society concert.

Toccata in D Minor, Movement IV, performed April 17, 2020 by the Philadelphia Saxophone Quartet, Warren Fioretti, John Bachalis, Jerry Nowak, and Kathy Mitchell. It features a driving fugue built on intricate four-voice counterpoint

A timeless classic and one of our favorite selections to perform, “When I Fall in Love” features tenor saxophonist Warren Fioretti, one of the quartet’s longest-standing members, whose artistry, warmth, and unmistakable musical voice have been an essential part of the ensemble for decades.

Jerry Nowak (1936–2015), founding baritone saxophonist of the Philadelphia Saxophone Quartet since 1968, was a respected educator, conductor, and prolific composer with over 800 published works whose musicianship left a lasting imprint on the ensemble and wider musical community. His arrangement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Three-Part Inventions for saxophone quartet captures the contrapuntal clarity and Baroque elegance of the originals while translating them into a vivid, modern idiom for winds.