Award-winning Quartet to Perform March 21

An award-winning, all-saxophone quartet called the h2 quartet will present a 1 p.m. master class and a free 5 p.m. recital on Sunday, March 21, at Illinois State University's Kemp Recital Hall.

The ensemble is dedicated to commissioning and performing new works and bringing that new repertoire, along with the best of standard repertoire for saxophone quartet to a wider audience. The group was first prize winner at the North American Saxophone Alliance Saxophone Quartet Competition in April of 2008 and first prize Gold Medal winner at the 2007 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Twice they have been first place winners at the MTNA Chamber Music Competition in Michigan, and h2 quartet was named honorable mention at the 2008 Plowman Chamber Music Competition.

Since its founding in 2002, h2 quartet has performed in many U.S. venues, in Europe and Asian. Two years ago they performed Philip Glass's Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra with the Michigan State University Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2008, h2 released its debut album, "Generations," on Blue Griffin Records.

Members of the h2 quartet are Geoffrey Deibel, Kimberly Goddard, Jeffrey Loeffert and Jonathan Nichol.