Stepping on stage, four talented saxophonists — who themselves the Sonarus Quartet — readied themselves for their performance at the United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium on Jan. 11.
The quartet, first formed in 2023, is made up of junior soprano saxophonist Dylan Huang and seniors alto saxophonist Alex Vash-Munoz, tenor saxophonist Jed Yao and baritone saxophonist Travis Zhu.
Held in Fairfield, Va., from Jan. 10-11, the symposium is an annual, 2-day event, featuring a mix of performances, masterclasses and lectures designed for musicians of all ages. After a selective application process, the Sonarus Quartet performed in the High School Honors Recital alongside quartets across the country and the world.
Besides performing at the symposium, the quartet’s recent accomplishments include an invitation to perform at the Junior Bach Festival and the Rossmoor Chamber Music Society last April. Although not officially affiliated with the school, they competed at the Saratoga High Chamber Music Festival for the last two years.
“The events are really fun,” Huang said. “You get to meet a lot of people, reunite with a couple kids from summer camps, talk to professors and build connections. So especially as a high schooler or a college student, I think it’s a very valuable experience with [saxophone] folks.”
The four dedicated saxophonists met in the school’s marching band, and after recognizing each other’s skills, they formed a quartet for both competitions and chamber music learning experience. As a solely student-run project, the musicians choose their own pieces to perform and master on their own time. Their name “Sonarus” was derived from the word “sonorous” meaning a sound that is imposingly deep and full.
“A saxophone quartet is a prominent chamber ensemble, constantly featured in major chamber music competitions,” Huang said. “We believed having four talented saxophonists merge as an ensemble would help us grow as musicians.”
Attending competitions — such as the one in Fairfield — also allows them to share live performances in front of other musicians, which strengthens their performance skills and deepens their musical experiences.
Alongside the quartet’s musical endeavors, the ensemble’s accomplishments would not have been possible without the guidance of Michael Hernadez, their shared private saxophone teacher. He is also a saxophone and musicianship assistant professor at San Jose State University.
However, due to their rigorous academic commitments and involvement in several SHS musical ensembles, such as the Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE), the quartet has struggled to maintain a regular rehearsal schedule, although they usually only meet once a week after school in the music building. Inevitably, the members grew more inclined to prioritize their other musical commitments, such as practicing solo repertoires.
While the three seniors — Vash-Munoz, Yao and Zhu — are graduating this year, all are planning on continuing with music after high school, whether as music majors or hobbyists. Nevertheless, Huang hopes that the quartet will be able to continue with new members, most likely through auditions or observations during their band class.
“I feel like I learned a lot more about playing in smaller ensembles,” Huang said. “You have to be a lot more intentional with everything you do, so it really teaches you to have better musicality and really be sensitive to what other people are doing.”
