Zed is a rising chamber music group dedicated to establishing the saxophone quartet as a pillar of chamber music through the interpretation of traditional and contemporary works.
Founded at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 2023, Zed has since received national acclaim. Zed has received accolades in multiple competitions, including silver medals in the 2024 Fischoff Chamber Music Senior Winds Division and 2024 NOLA Chamber Festival Emerging Artist Division. They have also been finalists in the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition and the 2025 Music Teacher National Association Competition. Zed also received first prize in the 2024 American Virtuoso International Music Competition in the Young Artists division. Zed will be making their Carnegie Hall debut in January 2026.
Zed has been featured performers at multiple concert series including Musical Excursions Concert, NOLA Friends of Music at The Rink, KMFA Midday Concert Series, and with an upcoming performance at the Here Be Monsters Contemporary Music Festival. Committed to educational outreach, Zed has also been invited to present concerts and masterclasses at Louisiana State University, the University of Texas - San Antonio, Texas A&M International University, and the University of New Orleans. Additionally, Zed has given featured performances at the Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, Chamber Music America Conference, and the Texas Music Educator’s Assiciation Convention. Zed has also been soloists in the consortium premiere of Viet Cuong’s “Second Nature” with The University of Texas Wind Ensemble. In alignment with Zed’s commitment to diversifying the repertoire, Zed has commissioned composers JoAnne Harris and Minoo Dixon, with upcoming works by Kevin Charoensri and Christopher Prosser.
Based in Austin, Texas, the members of Zed are Connor O’Toole on soprano saxophone, Jacob Feldman on alto saxophone, Marina Sakellakis on tenor saxophone, and David Bennette on baritone saxophone.
Our Mission
Zed is committed to establishing the saxophone quartet as a necessary sound in concert music. Through a unique interpretation of standard repertoire along with new works, Zed has developed a sound which transcends genres, and is a culmination of the diverse backgrounds of the group’s members and goals. Through the commissioning of new works by underrepresented composers, Zed will continue to advance the repertoire of the saxophone quartet to fit the needs of a new generation.