Batture Contemporary is a three-day new music festival showcasing the diverse array of composers and performers based in Louisiana. The festival includes concerts, workshops, and rehearsals free and open to the public in various venues in the city of New Orleans.
Batture Contemporary was created and is run by Versipel New Music. The festival is supported in part by a Community Arts Grant made possible by the City of New Orleans as administered by Arts New Orleans.
Quartetto Obrigado was formed in 2013 as an enthusiastic group of saxophonists who enjoy coming together to perform new music for saxophone quartet. They have performed extensively across the United States in Ohio, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Indiana, and New Mexico, and internationally in Strasbourg, France, and Zagreb, Croatia. As residents of Louisiana, they frequently perform within their home state.
The quartet has a strong history of collaboration, working with composers and other musicians on various projects. Notably, they have been featured with the Red Shift Choir and have performed at prestigious conferences including those of the North American Saxophone Alliance, the World Saxophone Congress, the Music Teachers National Association, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. A highlight of their career includes performing twice with renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis. In April of this year, Quartetto Obrigado performed to a sold-out crowd as part of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) chamber group series.
The members of Quartetto Obrigado are Dr. Griffin Campbell, Dr. Taylor Barbay Assad, Jennifer C. Foret, and Brina Bourliea Faciane.
Quartetto Obrigado is delighted to accept the invitation as guest artist for the inaugural Batture Contemporary Festival, an event dedicated to showcasing the innovative works of Louisiana composers. As a quartet deeply committed to performing and commissioning new music for saxophone, this festival’s focus on homegrown talent holds particular significance, especially with the world premiere of Mendel Lee’s The Great Boil Escape, a piece uniquely crafted for Obrigado and this occasion. The quartet has a rich history of bringing Louisiana’s musical voice to international stages, notably premiering Ben Stonaker’s Borderline Personalities in Strasbourg, France, and Stephen David Beck’s Chasing Baby Bumblebees in Zagreb, Croatia. Their dedication extends to performances like Philip Schuessler’s award-winning Sunburst Carousel at the national Music Teachers National Association conference in Walt Disney World. The quartet is pleased to welcome Dr. Ryan Lemoine on alto saxophone for this engagement, as cherished member Taylor celebrates the birth of her new baby girl.
