Jacobs quartet wins contest, broadens opportunities

It was a weekend Justin Polyblank, Chris Elchico, Steven Lawhon and Marti Comas will never forget.

Competing against 48 ensembles from around the world, IU’s Barkada Saxophone Quartet won the $7,500 Grand Prize for the 2012 Fischoff National Chamber Music
Competition.

Performing together since September 2011, the boys also took home the Gold Medal in the Senior Wind Division, which consisted of a $3,000 cash prize.

Founded in 1973, the Fischoff Competition has become the largest chamber music competition in the world. A winner is chosen in both the wind and string ensembles.

These winners then face off for the Grand Prize.

“We were absolutely astonished to have won the Grand Prize because typically it’s awarded to the String Division,” Polyblank said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s been 10 years since a wind group has won. It’s usually so hard to win over the string judges. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling.”

Having competed in the Fischoff Competition two times previously, Polyblank was hungry for more.

He said it has been a dream of his to have a professional chamber ensemble as part of his career. On the way to fulfilling this dream, the Barkada Saxophone Quartet
members met by chance in the fall and toyed with the idea of playing together.
What followed was unexpected.

“It’s a blessing to be able to do this now, especially with four people who are extremely different,” Elchico said. “We have a great time hanging out with each other, and it’s only going to get better. I’m just happy we’re able to make music and share it with other people.”

For Polyblank, the win drastically altered his post-graduation plans. He had intended to move to Los Angeles and look for different musical opportunities with the possibility of starting an ensemble with Elchico, a California native.

However, the group earned the opportunity to participate in the Winner’s Tour of the Midwestern United States beginning in October, as well as an all-expense-paid trip to play at the Emilia Romagna Festival in Italy in 2013.

Elchico said the money is to be split among the quartet members, but they are still unsure whether it will be used toward future projects for the group.

“It’s still taking me a while to wrap my head around the whole thing,” he said. “I’m excited to see what happens in the next year and after that.”

Each member of the quartet  has studied with IU saxophone professor Otis Murphy.

“It’s important to mention there’s an element of me working with them, but I spend a tiny fraction of time compared to how much time they spend practicing,” Murphy said.
“They spend hours a day together in addition to individually practicing. They took a lot of time developing as a group, and the hard work paid off.”

Murphy said he was receiving calls and texts constantly throughout the competition as he was at a conference in California this past weekend and could not attend.

“I was in touch with them moments before they played,” he said. “They had to pick their repertoire for each round, and they would ask my advice similar to a football coach. It touched me and I truly felt part of this important event. They are humble and wonderful students, and I appreciate that they trusted me in that capacity.”

The ensemble members had nothing but positive things to say about studying with Murphy.

“He has been an incredible inspiration and teacher,” Polyblank said. “Without the individual instruction we wouldn’t have been able to come up with the group concept that has taken us in the direction we have gone.”

Elchico had auditioned for the Jacobs School a couple years ago in hopes of studying with Murphy.

In fall 2011, he finally got his wish.

“Coming here has been extremely motivating to be around so many amazing musicians,” he said. “Professor Murphy strives to create a family in the studio, and it’s amazing to be able to go to any person regardless of age or degree and ask for advice. It’s a really great learning environment. It has influenced not only my playing but me as a person, and I can honestly say I’m really thankful.”

Murphy said that while the saxophone is typically viewed as a jazz instrument, one of the amazing things about this competition is that it was exhibited in the classical capacity.

“As a saxophone quartet, they are ambassadors,” Murphy said. “They are very talented young musicians. They have really refined themselves as a group to get this tremendous prize, and I’m very hopeful they will make a difference in the classical saxophone scene. I’m excited for them and their potential.”