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Music For the Stars: The members of Quasar Saxophone

Quasar Saxophone
King’s University College, Feb. 6,  8 p.m.

Quasar   |kw zär|   Noun:  a massive remote celestial object, emitting large amounts of energy, and having a starlike image in a telescope.

Edmonton’s classical music community is about to experience an “alien invasion” of sorts.  Dedicated to the performance of new music, the internationally-acclaimed Quasar Saxophone Quartet will be performing in Edmonton as part of their 15th anniversary tour. The quartet’s repertoire explores the outer limits of the classical music genre, spanning instrumental music, live electronics, improvisation and musical theatre.

Quasar has become the vehicle for expressing the complex musical tastes of its saxophonist members, Marie-Chantal Leclair (soprano), Mathieu Leclair (alto), André Leroux (tenor) and Jean-Marc Bouchard (baritone).  Over the span of its existence, the ensemble has developed a musical cohesiveness that is to be envied — all because they have never had to suffer a personnel change.  Marie-Chantal Leclair, the soprano saxophonist, also serves as the ensemble’s Artistic Director.  She recently described how the music that Quasar performs is selected.  “For international repertoire, I’m always looking — like recordings and whatever.  When I find something that I like, I order the materials. ” When commissioning works, she likes to attend concerts of music by a particular composer and listen attentively.  “It’s a little bit intuitive.  If I like this composer’s music, then I need this composer to write for us — it’s just too good.”  She always looks for strong, personal voices that explore the fringes of musical expression.

Their Canadian tour program explores a wide variety of contemporary musical styles.  Of the seven works on their program, five of them are by Canadian composers, and two of those are Albertans.

Edmonton guitarist and composer Colin Labadie‘s “Mojave” paints a musical landscape of his experience in the California desert.   Piotr Grella-Mozejko, also from Edmonton, composed “Widdershins (le monde merveilleux du Marquis de Sade)” on commission for Quasar.  The piece contains dense textures that sound at times oppressive and at others somewhat optimistic.  Don’t think that music is their only outlet.  Marie-Chantal Leclair and her husband Jean-Marc Bouchard are avid cyclists and campers.  André Leroux, a jazz musician, is an avid sportsman, counting golf and skiing among his endeavours.  Mathieu Leclair, teaches sax and also enjoys reading and biking.