Aruna Quartet
Evoking bagpipes, fiddles, deep sea creatures and everything in between, the Aruna Quartet performs programs of new music and original arrangements. The quartet leverages the chameleon nature of the saxophone to present a tasting menu of sounds to their audience in concerts, educational programs, and multimedia collaborations. “Aruna” translates literally to “red, ruddy, tawny”– a succinct descriptor of the dust storms and sprawling, flatland sunsets that visually define West Texas where the quartet formed.
As travel enthusiasts, the group has adventured well over 10,000 miles together for various musical engagements, including a staggering 30-hour road trip through the deserts, canyons, mountains, and forests of the western United States. As a result of these excursions, the Aruna Quartet has been awarded the Grand Prize at the 46th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, 2nd Prize at the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, and 3rd Prize at the MTNA Chamber Winds National Finals, among other national and international prizes.
Since its conception, the Aruna Quartet has cultivated a national and international presence. The quartet’s appearances include the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, the Asia Pacific Saxophone Academy in Bangkok, and the group was invited to perform at the 2021 Emilia-Romagna Music Festival in Bologna, Italy. The Aruna Quartet presents world premieres, collaborations, and new programs on the “Aruna Quartet Presents” series in Central and West Texas.
The quartet works with composers to tell new stories, push against genre boundaries and present a charcuterie of sounds in their concerts. Aruna is currently partnered with the ADJ•ective Composer Collective in a multi-year collaboration to produce 13 new works. Aruna also partnered with Sarah McKoin and the Texas Tech Symphonic Wind Ensemble to commission Viet Cuong to write a new concerto for saxophone quartet and wind ensemble which premiered in February, 2024.
