Mirasol Quartet is an award-winning contemporary chamber ensemble dedicated to uniting the innovation of collaborative artistry with the mission of educational outreach. Widely acclaimed for their performances on the national stage, the ensemble has established an active presence in the chamber music scene. 

 

Mirasol Quartet was awarded the Gold Medal in the Wind Division at the 42nd Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Grand Prize in the 2015/2016 ENKOR Chamber Music Competition. Other accomplishments include being named Winner of the 2016 American Prize in Chamber Music Performance (collegiate division), 3rd place national winner at the Music Teachers National Association's "Chamber Winds" Competition; and finalists in the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Quartet Competition at the University of Illinois and the 69th Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition. Mirasol Quartet was invited to perform on the Opening Gala concert of the NASA Biennial Conference held in Lubbock, TX; and at the Midwest Clinic alongside the Quid Nunc Saxophone Quartet of Ronald Reagan High School (San Antonio, TX). Additionally, the group has performed at the Texas Music Educators Association convention and the NASA Region 4 Conferences.

 

Committed to the impact of musical and community outreach, the group regularly performs public school concerts and clinics as advocates of arts education and chamber music performance. In addition, the group presented How to Fix Your Saxophone Section Before It’s Broken at the TMEA Convention; and Chamber Music 101: Fostering the Self-Dependent Chamber Ensemble at the TMEA Convention and the United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium.

 

Diverse in their programming, Mirasol Quartet performs a variety of repertoire including string quartet transcriptions, traditional saxophone quartet classics, and progressive contemporary works.

 

Formed in 2013 at Texas Tech University, the quartet consists of James Barger, Andrew Reinhart, Ben Still, and Ben Donnell. The group draws its name and musical inspiration from the intensity of the West Texas sun. Mirasol Quartet is a Conn-Selmer Performing Ensemble and performs on Selmer Paris saxophones exclusively. 

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Mission Statement

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1. Provide an artistically moving and challenging chamber music experience for both performers and audience members.

2. Appeal to a wide range of musicians and non-musicians alike.

3. Educate while simultaneously entertaining today’s students of the saxophone/chamber music/band programs. Improve the state of saxophone and chamber music education in areas within our reach.

4. Educate and inform the community about the current state of the saxophone repertoire and sound through master classes and performances.

5. Continue to push the saxophone repertoire with the ushering in of new music and fresh performances of old standards.