Nach Quartet Has Exceptional Year

It’s been a year of firsts for UGA’s graduate saxophone quartet, Nach (Rick Firestone, Caroline Halleck, Hassan High, Charlie Young.)  Nach Quartet met for the first time in August 2015 and began making competition plans for the year right away. As the spring semester began, their dreams had started to become reality as they began advancing to finals of two significant chamber music competitions: MTNA Chamber Music Competition and the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Quartet Competition.

In March they rented a van and drove to Lubbock, Texas to compete in the NASA quartet competition, hosted in conjunction with the 2016 NASA Biennial Conference at Texas Tech University. On the way, they stopped to give performances and masterclasses at the University of Mississippi, Desoto Central High School and Horn Lake Middle School. Upon reaching Lubbock, they competed in the semi-final round and were one of six quartets that progressed to the finals! It was a week full of performances, practicing, late night rehearsals, countless hours of driving.  It all added up to amazing experiences and memories.  

Just two weeks later, they flew back to Texas, this time San Antonio, to compete in the MTNA Chamber Music Competition national finals.  To advance to the national round, they were awarded first prize in the southeast regional round in January 2016 in Tampa, Florida.  

Both of these competitions helped them grow as a chamber musicians, connect with other young musicians and professionals across the country, and share their love of music with younger students.

DMA student and baritone saxophonist Charlie Young summed it up best: “I was able to give my first recital away from my own school, present my first master class, compete in my first national competition, and attend my first national conference. All of these were very enriching and to happen in such close proximity was almost overwhelming.”