Westerlies Fest 2026 – "Have You Heard?... " Album Release Show @ FREMONT ABBEY

The Westerlies: westerliesmusic.com

Event Description:

GRAMMY-nominated, Seattle-bred, New York–based brass quartet The Westerlies celebrate the release of their latest album, Have You Heard? The Music of Bill Frisell, Vol. 1. A longtime friend and mentor of the ensemble, Bill Frisell has given The Westerlies exclusive access to a large body of new, never-before-heard or performed compositions. Have You Heard? premieres 11 of these works, rendered through The Westerlies’ singular brass lens.

In the words of the composer himself: “I was excited by the prospect of The Westerlies playing some of my music. I didn’t tell them anything. No instructions. Just handed over my little sketches. They knew what to do. Surprise me. I am thrilled with the result. They understood and stayed true to what was on the page, went deeper, developed it, took it somewhere without losing sight of where it was coming from in the first place. Imagination. They turned a line or a drawing into a painting.”

Short Bio:

The Westerlies, “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (The New York Times), hold a singular space in modern music. From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, the GRAMMY-nominated quartet has upended presumptions of the brass tradition to create music that is “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music).

Comprising Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet and Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon on trombone, the ensemble has relentlessly composed, arranged, adapted, recorded, and toured over the past fifteen years with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along. 

Across ten critically acclaimed albums, The Westerlies have earned “a unique reputation for exploring the emotional textures of American music” (DownBeat), championing living composers and collaborators including Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Conrad Tao, Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, Dave Douglas, and Theo Bleckmann.

2025 saw the release of two major recordings – Paradise, The Westerlies’ “sublime, precise, and deeply spiritual” (DownBeat) reimagination of the Shape Note choral tradition, which earned the group a GRAMMY-nomination for “Best Arrangement”; and Songbook, Vol. 3, a live EP and concert film celebrating friends and recent collaborators including Fleet Foxes, Adrianne Lenker, Samora Pinderhughes, Anaïs Mitchell, Aoife O’Donovan, Joanna Newsom, and more. 

The Westerlies' singular sound and virtuosic skill have also made them in-demand collaborators, playing in studio and live alongside artists from Common to Haley Heynderickx, and on GRAMMY-nominated releases from both Fleet Foxes and Aoife O’Donovan.

2026 will see The Westerlies embark on a major retrospective of American music pioneer Bill Frisell, featuring newly composed works and arrangements; an adaptation of Maria Schneider’s GRAMMY-winning classical song cycle Winter Morning Walks, featuring South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe; and a new collaboration with Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes exploring the music of Judee Sill.

@ Fremont Abbey Arts Center

6:30p doors, ~7:30p show

All ages, some seating available (not guaranteed unless reserved seat ticket is purchased)

Abbey Arts Bar offerings at this venue include various non-alcohol options + local beer, wine, cider & select cocktails for 21+, small snacks, etc.  Offerings may vary based on show size & staffing. 

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ABBEY ARTS EVENT INFO:

• Fremont Abbey is ADA accessible on either level.

• For most events we have a mix of padded chairs and standing room.

• Seating is not guaranteed or reserved unless noted.

• To respect the performing artists and your fellow attendees, please refrain from talking during the quieter performances.  Those unable to adhere to this guideline may be asked to leave (no refunds).  

• Please limit photos & video during the show so as to not distract other attendees from the experience.

• Phone and video may be permitted for some shows from the standing area only please.

• No professional cameras or cameras with shutters allowed in the venue

• We are an all ages venue. Kids 10 & under are free at Abbey Arts concerts & arts events unless noted.  Program content may vary, please use your own discretion. 

• Equity & Inclusion - Entering the venue indicates agreement to adhere to the Abbey Respect Policy. www.fremontabbey.org/respect

• Service animals as defined by the ADA are allowed. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.