Arts and Entertainment

Courtesy Photo/ Jonathan Nichol

h2 Quartet to bring 'eclectic' saxophone sampling at Noon

By Haley Otman GVL A&E Editor
2/7/2010

An award-winning quartet featuring one of Grand Valley State University's own professors will play a free performance for campus this week.

The h2 Quartet is comprised of GVSU professor Jonathan Nichol, in addition to Geoffrey Deibel, Kimberly Goddard and Jeffrey Loeffert, all saxophonists.

"We started together in 2002 at Northwestern University," Goddard, who plays baritone saxophone in the ensemble, said.

The group plays a variety of music, ranging from ragtime to blues to contemporary, including early music and works written just for them. Composers they have worked with include Jonghyun Choi, John Mackey and Matthew Schoendorff, among others.

"We are a versatile group, and the saxophone is a versatile instrument ... there's something for everyone," Goddard said.

Deibel plays the soprano and alto parts for most pieces, unless there is an unorthodox instrumentation, which they occasionally run into while creating their varied programs.

"h2 thrives on eclectic programs," Deibel said, because they enjoy showing off what he calls "the most versatile instrument in existence."

It helps that Deibel is into new music, Nichol specializes in jazz and both Goddard and Loeffert focus on French music, so they can each bring something different to the group's song choices.

The quartet released a debut CD in 2008, "Generations," which includes music by Caryl Florio from 1879, Alexander Glazunov from 1932 and Ida Gotkovsky from 1983.

"The h2 Quartet enjoys the opportunity to work with composers and has premiered new works," according to the group's Web site.

The quartet has won many awards in its first eight years since its humble beginnings in graduate school.

Winner numerous first place awards at competitions across the country, most notable to Deibel was their "First Prize Gold Medal" at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, in Notre Dame, Ind. An average of 125 ensembles enter the competition each year.

"Our win there probably came as a surprise to all of us," he said, because they had not been playing for very long in their current formation, were all occupied in school and in the interest of time almost did not even attend the competition.

After performing for three long days through three rounds they came out with a gold medal.

The h2 Quartet will play Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. as part of the ongoing Arts at Noon series. The performance will take place in the Cook De-Witt Center on GVSU's Allendale Campus.

"Most people expect an all-saxophone group to be raucous, and while we are certainly capable of that, there are so many other possibilities," Goddard said.

To learn more about the quartet, visit http://www.h2quartet.com. They also have fan pages on both Facebook and MySpace.

"Playing with the h2 Quartet is like driving a sports car," Nichol said. "Totally in control, fast, exhilarating and beautiful."

arts@lanthorn.com

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