The University of Connecticut Saxophone Quartet held its first exhibition of the semester at von der Mehden Recital Hall on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. It was an evening of minimalist jazz and classic pieces, with a touching tribute to close the performance.
The concert featured Haley Ducharme, Logan Cripps, Amelia Brott and Jackson Civitillo, all UConn undergraduates who performed with different instruments of the saxophone family.
The undergraduates played four pieces, the first of which was Michael Torke’s “May, June, July,” a three-movement song that emphasized Ducharme’s lilting soprano saxophone, an instrument that is usually considered the lead in a quartet.
“May, June, July” is a minimalist jazz piece, and its cyclic repetition could be heard throughout the movements. The piece moved between cheerful bouncy sounds and sadder, melodious parts, all while holding elements of the same melody throughout.
“It focuses on taking a theme or one musical idea and stretching it, spreading it and really messing with the time and dynamics of it,” said Brott, the tenor saxophonist in the quartet and member that chose “May, June, July” for the program.
The next piece played was Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Little Fugue in G Minor,” a classic piece chosen for its recognizability.
Though the quartet is self-led, its members also receive coaching from Greg Case, instructor of saxophone at UConn.
“I always allow student quartet members to choose their repertoire for their concerts,” Case wrote in an email. “This gives them ownership in the music they will create together and fosters a greater sense of shared purpose.”
The exhibition included other pieces, like one by Jean-Baptiste Singelée and one called “Kapua.” The most striking piece was one arranged by Civitello, in tribute to former UConn student Zachary Rubin, who died in February 2026 and was a member of the Saxophone Quartet.
Civitello’s arrangement of the popular song “Light the Way” emphasized the motif of knowing a person in heaven, who guides others to them. Bouncy and lively, the arrangement highlighted a jazzy solo from Ducharme.
“The last song especially was bittersweet,” said Julia Kaczynski, a spectator and friend of Civitello’s. “In my mind I imagined what heaven looked like, and his friend there.”
Through the short exhibition, the members of the quartet hoped that the audience could sense how much work was put into each piece.
“The conscious working moments are all music,” Brott said.
The quartet also wanted the audience to understand how music can take over.
“If you learn the music through and through, then the goal is to be consumed by it,” Cripps said.