Synchrony Quartet is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet dedicated to the performance of contemporary music and to fostering meaningful collaboration between performers, composers, and local arts communities. Formed out of acclaimed pedagogue Taimur Sullivan’s studio, the ensemble has quickly gained national recognition, having been named winners of the MTNA Chamber Music Competition, North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition, and grand prize winners of the Coltman Chamber Music Competition. Additionally, Synchrony has been awarded the Anne D. Moran Silver Prize at the Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition.
Committed to expanding the saxophone quartet repertoire, Synchrony Quartet has recently premiered a new work by Stacy Garrop, a Chicago-based composer whose music has been commissioned and performed by leading ensembles including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, the quartet is collaborating with three talented young composers through its first annual premieres concert, hosted in Chicago, IL. Synchrony regularly works with student composers through a partnership with the Northwestern University composition studio, premiering and recording new works for the saxophone. Through projects such as these, Synchrony seeks to support emerging composers while contributing to the evolving landscape of contemporary saxophone music.
Equally versed in a wide range of musical styles, the Synchrony Quartet has found a voice curating arrangements and transcriptions of beloved classical works and popular music to the medium of the saxophone quartet. Each member contributes original arrangements to the group, representing a diverse array of genres and time periods. Synchrony aims to promote accessibility while sharing a breadth of musical knowledge with curious audiences, with personal musical interests at the forefront of the ensemble’s programming.
Synchrony Quartet maintains a residency at Clara, a bar and performance space in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, where the ensemble presents innovative programs that bring new music into informal, community-centered performance environments. Recently, Synchrony presented a week of outreach concerts and a ticketed feature performance as Emerging Artists in Residence at the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival in Walla Walla, Washington. The ensemble maintains an active performance schedule, with planned appearances at the Chamber Music America annual conference in Chicago, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, Chesapeake Music Concert Series, and additional performances for the 2026-2027 season. Synchrony has performed around the country, with guest performances at the Peabody Conservatory, and guest artist residencies at Sam Houston State University and James Madison University.
Synchrony Quartet is comprised of Philip Kleutgens (soprano saxophone), Hudson O’Reilly (alto saxophone), Matthew Johnson (tenor saxophone), and Haven Kahn (baritone saxophone).
The Quartet, Defined
