The Nexas Quartet is a Sydney-based Australian saxophone chamber ensemble. They create and perform arrangements of chamber works, and they have new music commissioned for them. Founded in 2002, its members are Michael Duke (soprano), Andrew Smith (alto), Nathan Henshaw (tenor), Jay Byrnes (baritone).
The group performed at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and the World Saxophone Congress in Scotland (2012), France (2015) and Croatia (2018) and many other venues in Australia and overseas.
Repertoire Notable composers in their repertoire include Astor Piazzolla (Argentine tango, nuevo tango), Claude Debussy (Children's Corner, Danse sacré, Danse profane),"Review: Symphonic Saxes at old 505 – Nexas + Granger" bt Adam Jeffrey, 15 December 2020, classikON.com Maurice Ravel (Ma mère l'Oye, String Quartet),"Sydney Chamber Music Festival – Nexas Quartet with guest flautist Bridget Bolliger", 10 November 2024, Sydney Chamber Music Festival Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 (American Quartet),"Live Review: Nexas Saxophone Quartet" by Samuel Cottell, 28 October 2015, CutCommon Samuel Barber (String Quartet), Chick Corea (Children's Songs), ,"Nexas Quartet – Child's Play", 16 May 2023, Melbourne Recital Centre Kurt Weill, and Carl Vine.
The quartet had new works written for them by Australian composers, including Carl Vine,"Nexas Quartet: Taking it by the horns" by Maddy Briggs, Limelight, 6 November 2023 Matthew Hindson,"OCMF Gala: A celebration of wonders" by Jennifer Foong, 12 March 2024, classikON.com Lachlan Skipworth; Elena Kats-Chernin arranged her transcription from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach for the quartet."Nexas Quartet: Australian sounds for saxophones (and bicycle bells)" by Samuel Cottell, Resonate Magazine, 8 November 2016
Recordings Their debut album Current (2016) demonstrates their collaboration with leading Australian composers."Current – Nexas Quartet (CD launch)", Australian Music Centre, 29 November 2016 They followed with the albums Ballads of the Pleasant Life – Kurt Weill, Weimar and Exile (2017 ABC Classics) with Peter Coleman-Wright,; and Tango de Saxos (Da Vinci, 2021) with bandoneonist Stephen Cuttriss and pianist Daniel Rojas."Tango de Saxos: Music for Saxophone Quartet", Da Vinci Publishing, 2021; "Tango de Saxos, Nexas Quartet", review by Philip Pogson, Loudmouth, 30 March 2023, musictrust.com.au
References
External links
"Profile (a)", "Profile (b)", Australian Music Centre "Dr. Michael Duke biography" "Dr. Nathan Henshaw", profile at University of Sydney "Andrew Smith biography" "Dr Jay Byrnes profile", Piano+ (pianoplus.com.au)