SAPPHIRE QUINTET

      For over 20 years, Sapphire Woodwind Quintet has been a distinctive and evolving presence in Chicago’s chamber music community. Founded as an all-female woodwind quintet, the ensemble has established a reputation for artistic excellence, thoughtful curation, and sustained community engagement.

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     While grounded in the core wind quintet repertoire, Sapphire’s current artistic mission centers on championing living composers — particularly women and other historically underrepresented voices. Through commissions, premieres, and long-term collaborative partnerships, we actively expand the wind canon with music that reflects the diversity and urgency of today’s creative landscape. Our programming strategy intentionally balances established masterworks with contemporary works that broaden representation and reframe audience expectations.

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     Recent collaborations with pianist Jeremy Vigil have expanded the ensemble’s artistic scope beyond traditional quintet literature, enabling exploration of wind sextet repertoire and mixed chamber works for winds and piano. These projects represent a strategic artistic evolution, positioning Sapphire to engage with a wider range of repertoire, venues, and audiences while remaining rooted in the wind tradition.

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     Educational access and community partnership remain central to our mission. Through interactive children’s programs — including our signature programs - "Buzz, Bang & Whoosh: The Science of Sound" and "Musical Time Machine"  programs — school residencies, and community performances, we introduce young audiences to chamber music while elevating the work of living composers. These initiatives foster representation, creativity, and meaningful engagement with contemporary music.

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     Frequently featured on WFMT and broadcast nationally, Sapphire Woodwind Quintet continues to advance a forward-looking vision for wind chamber music — one that prioritizes artistic excellence, inclusive programming, and sustainable collaboration.