Saxophone Spotlight - Symbios Quartet - Perth Saxophonists
The Saxophone
MetSO in collaboration with wonderful
Perth Saxophonists
Symbios Quartet
MetSO - Karrinyup are thrilled to have
Symbios Quartet joining us on stage for our
SOLD OUT - Rhapsody event -
featuring the orchestra’s performance of
Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with pianist
MetSO Young Artist - Joshua Noronha.
When most people think of the saxophone, they picture jazz clubs, big bands, or that one impossibly smooth solo in a movie soundtrack. But the saxophone was actually invented as a classical instrument, and has been quietly finding its place in orchestras and concert halls ever since.
Created in the 1840s by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax, the instrument was designed to combine the warmth of woodwinds with the power of brass. The result? An instrument that can be lyrical and delicate one moment, bold and brilliant the next.
Symbios Quartet - showcasing all of the common instruments in the Saxophone / Sax Family;
Photo credit : Anneke Stöpler
The Saxophone / Sax Family
smallest - highest pitched,
to largest - deepest pitched :
Soprano Saxophone (Photo - back left)
Alto Saxophone (Photo - back right)
Tenor Saxophone (Photo - front right)
Baritone “Bari” Saxophone (Photo - front left)
Although saxophones aren’t a regular fixture in a traditional symphony orchestra, composers have long been drawn to their distinctive sound. And few works suit that crossover between classical and jazz quite as naturally as Rhapsody in Blue, a piece full of colour, energy and unmistakable character.
You might be surprised to learn that saxophones often work a bit like a vocal ensemble. A saxophone quartet usually includes soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, creating a rich, blended sound that can shift from warm and orchestral to bright and playful in an instant.
Playing with an orchestra brings another challenge entirely: listening, blending, supporting, and occasionally finding those moments where the saxophone sound can peek through the texture. It’s a different experience from chamber music, but one we always enjoy.
Symbios Quartet : Perth Saxophonists Blake Bayley, Andrea Jordan-Keane, Grace Kay and Joshua Sumich
Photo credit : Anneke Stöpler
About Symbios Quartet
Hi, I’m Blake Bayley, the tenor saxophonist in Symbios Quartet, and we are really looking forward to being part of MetSO’s performance of Rhapsody in Blue! From the quartet, the concert will feature
myself, Blake Bayley on Saxophone 1 (Alto Sax),
Grace Kay playing tenor saxophone on Saxophone 2, and
Andrea Jordan-Keane playing the Saxophone 3 (Alto Sax) part
*Symbios Quartet member Joshua Sumich (one of our 2025/26 MetSO On the Podium Winners) is currently away in Europe
Symbios is a Perth-based saxophone quartet passionate about blurring musical boundaries, from classical and contemporary works to jazz, collaborations and projects with local composers. We love finding new ways to share music with the community and showing that the saxophone can feel just as at home in a concert hall as anywhere else.
Since forming, we’ve worked with musicians across WA’s arts scene, commissioned new works, and explored repertoire that challenges expectations of what a saxophone quartet “should” sound like. Rhapsody in Blue feels like a natural fit for us: a piece that sits somewhere between classical tradition and something a little more adventurous!
