Our mission to cultivate curiosity emerged from audience interactions
“I didn’t know the saxophone could sound like that”
“I wish I heard this 30 years ago”
“5 minutes of [composer] is as much as I can take”
Whether we are in front of seasoned concert-goers or Kindergarten students, we believe presenting music is all about creating a context in which people can suspend their preconceptions and connect honestly with the moment.
With children this is natural. As Pablo Picasso said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Young children easily find meaning in even the most unusual sound coming out of our saxophones. And in a world where creativity is actively taught out of our children, our mission is to inspire students to continue to listen with curiosity, creativity, and an open mind.
With adults, listening honestly means than not everyone will love every piece we play - we like that. We program a variety of styles and genres to allow people to find sounds they love and sounds that challenge them. Our goal is to provide a context in which people can connect with the emotions and stories within the music we play and to spark a curiosity that keeps them coming back.
In order to expand the impact of this mission, we formed Aruna Quartet, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that governs our ensemble and exists for three purposes: to present musical performances for public audiences, foster the creation of new musical and multimedia artistic works and present educational programs pertaining to music.
This organization allows us to increase the breadth and depth of the impact on the communities we serve and allows you to contribute to our cause. Your contribution goes a long way in furthering our mission to cultivate curiosity as musicians, educators, and storytellers.