Hierax Quartet formed in 2024, as graduate students (Scott Brown, Ben Levesque, Ashtyn Wolph, and Evan Blitzer) at The Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut, under the direction of Professor Carrie Koffman. The ensemble actively engages in outreach performances across the New England region, performing diverse programs for a variety of audiences.  Hierax Quartet also engages with communities beyond the New England region with performances at the International Saxophone Symposium and North American Saxophone Alliance Conferences.  

Early on the group achieved success in receiving the National Third Prize at the Music Teacher National Association Chamber Music Competition, First Prize in the Hartt School Chamber Music Competition as well as advancing to the semi-finals of the Plowman Chamber Music Competition in their inaugural season. Over the summer of 2025, Hierax organized a call-for-scores project which received 68 new pieces with submissions on an international scale. The group has premiered and championed the winning works from the concert across the 2025-2026 season.

Hierax Quartet is dedicated to redefining the role of the saxophone in the chamber music world. Through community engagement, the commissioning of new works, and bold performance of diverse programs, we aim to showcase the versatility and expressive power of the saxophone. We are committed to expanding the repertoire, both through original compositions and innovative arrangements, and to building inclusive spaces that welcome audiences of all backgrounds. By championing this relatively young ensemble format, we seek to legitimize the saxophone quartet as a vital and dynamic voice in contemporary music.