The Westerlies

The Westerlies, “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (New York Times) are a New York-based brass quartet comprised of Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon on trombone. From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.

Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air), The Westerlies explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music).

Since their inception, the ensemble has released ten critically acclaimed albums of genre-defying music, as well as collaborations with artists as diverse as Fleet Foxes, Big Red Machine, Common, Theo Bleckmann, Aoife O’Donovan, and Conrad Tao.

Education and community engagement are core elements of The Westerlies’ mission. The ensemble has taught masterclasses at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Yale School of Music, The Colburn School, and in 2021 The Westerlies were named the inaugural small ensemble-inresidence at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School.