Meet the Grantees: Kodachrome

As the saxophone quartet continues to expand its presence in the chamber music world, new repertoire is needed to help grow and evolve what, at one time, was considered a niche instrumentation. One of the ensembles leading the charge is Kodachrome, a young quartet whose four members—Calvin Wong, Jade Deatherage, Siobhan Plouffe, and Bonson Lee—are passionate about new music and pushing boundaries of the form. 

Though the group formed just three years ago, Kodachrome has made a big splash: They took home the Gold Prize at the 50th Fischoff Chamber Music Competition as well as First Prizes in the Coltman Chamber Music Competition and the Plowman Chamber Music Competition. Additionally, they have toured the Midwestern United States as part of their Double Gold Tour, sponsored by the Fischoff Chamber Music Association, and were invited to represent the United States at the Chengdu International Sister City Music Festival held in Chengdu, China. 

Last May, Kodachrome received one of Chamber Music America’s coveted Classical Commissioning grants, which supports the creation of a new work for the ensemble by Julie Zhu. In time for the application deadline for CMA’s 2025 Classical Commissioning program, CMA caught up with Kodachrome to hear about their ensemble’s formation, their dedication new music, and how the commissioning process is going.

How did Kodachrome get its start? 

We first discussed the possibility of forming a quartet in May 2022 while we were graduate students at Arizona State University. Bonson and Jade had been in a previous quartet that disbanded because of graduating members, and Siobhan and Calvin had played together in a quartet that disbanded for the same reasons. Because the four of us were already friends and wanted to continue playing in a sax quartet, it made sense to come together and form Kodachrome! We then began rehearsing in September of that same year. 

What were preparations like for the 50th Fischoff Chamber Music Competition?

We rehearsed A LOT leading up to Fischoff Competition, often five or six times a week for several months. That time was so beneficial for our group—we learned about each other as musicians in such a deep way. Once we were there, competing was fantastic. Most of our group had competed there before, and even when we’re not onstage, it’s always a favorite of ours to watch from the audience. The Fischoff team is always so kind and they make the event enjoyable for everyone—participants and audience members alike! 

Since winning the Fischoff Competition, Kodachrome has traveled and performed across the country. What’s a favorite travel story?

We love connecting with audience members, and recently, a person who had seen us back in 2023 actually traveled to see us recently in Dallas—in a completely different part of the country. It was such a great surprise. 

Another bright spot was actually when we performed during CMA’s 2024 National Conference as a showcase ensemble. We met so many interesting musicians who we wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to interact with. One of these people was Ralph Farris of ETHEL. “Nepomuk’s Dances,” an arrangement of which we have enjoyed playing over the past three years and which we performed at the conference during our showcase slot, was originally written for ETHEL. Getting the opportunity to talk to Ralph was very exciting for us and was an opportunity that we truly believe only happened because of the connections that CMA fosters.

Kodachrome’s bio places a large emphasis on playing new music and exploring new works. What inspired this element of your quartet?  

The saxophone quartet has not been around for very long, so in order to build up a larger catalogue of repertoire, we often need to be involved in the commissioning of new works. Luckily for us, however, this is an aspect of saxophone quartet that we really enjoy! Arizona State University, where we all came together, hosts the annual PRISMS Contemporary Music Festival which highlights new music by composers from around the world. As a quartet, we have participated in this festival each year since we formed and in 2023, we were asked to perform a piece by composer Julie Zhu. Her piece, Lawrence St., required us to combine contemporary musical elements with physical acting. That was a new challenge for us! We really loved working on this piece with Julie and our collaboration inspired us to continue working together on future projects. 

Speaking of your collaborating with Julie Zhu, in 2024 you were awarded a Classical Commissioning grant for the creation of a new work. How has the collaborative process been so far? 

We are extremely grateful to CMA for funding and facilitating this creative process. On our own, a project like this would have been much more difficult to pursue! Julie is a creative composer who we love working with and we have had a few exciting meetings so far to go over her ideas for this new piece and brainstorm ideas for what the premiere will look like. 

Do you have advice for ensembles applying for CMA’s grant programs? 

Be your authentic self! Don’t try to force a project that you don’t believe in, and if you can showcase your eagerness to collaborate and bring a new and engaging chamber music experience to life, that will help tremendously. Also, try to partner with a composer that you are musically and creatively aligned with. That will make the entire collaboration process very enjoyable! 

And the last question that we always ask… if Kodachrome were a sandwich, what would it be and why? 

This is a tricky one, but probably a leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich with kimchi and kewpie mayo, because we enjoy a fun creative take on a great classic! 

Keep up-to-date with Kodachrome at their website https://www.kodachromequartet.com/ or follow them on Instagram @kodachromequartet and Facebook. And stay tuned for upcoming recordings, including their EP and a transcription of Zarvos and other new commissions, and upcoming tour dates.