Chicago-based saxophone quartet

Masso is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet first formed at Northwestern University in the fall of 2021. While embracing the study and presentation of the classical repertoire, masso is equally committed to the commissioning, performance, and democratization of contemporary classical music.

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our current activity—


To Be Seen, Not Heard: Music About Roots is an upcoming commissioning and research project that asks composers what "roots" mean to them: from ecological structures, to lineage and heritage, to natural connotations, to human networks, to connections between humans and the earth. Music has no beginning or end in nature; in many ways, it is not seen, but heard and felt.

Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival Emerging Artist Quartet Fellowship was inaugurated by WWCMF in 2022 with the goal of sharpening community engagement activities while offering an emerging quartet the opportunity to gain valuable experience making music in the Walla Walla, Washington community. During this residency, Masso performs for hundreds of kids in the Walla Walla school system, presenting programs bilingually in English and Spanish. These performances provide young people gateway exposure to classical music, and reinforce the importance of representation in musical ensembles and concert repertoire.

Community Outreach at Walla Walla →

last season—


“inter-acts'' is a project inspired by interdisciplinary curiosity and intersecting identities. By examining how composers’ unique, singular make-ups influence their compositional voices, this project explores how confluences of interest and identity construct irreplicable human “selves,” in performers, composers, and audiences alike. Showcasing how these nodes of self create meaningful, impactful work, “inter-acts” hopes to celebrate each and every one of these personal interactions and intersections.

View Project →