The Westerlies
Rite of Summer does not require tickets or reservations.
Ticket reservations are recommended for the Governors Island ferry. Please note that masks continue to be required while boarding, riding, and disembarking. View the schedule, get more information, and reserve your tickets at govisland.com.
Program
Duke Ellington: Echoes of Harlem
Duke Ellington: Where’s the Music
Charles Ives: In The Mornin’
William Walker: Louisiana
Woody Guthrie: Two Good Men
John Prine: Way Back Then
Judie Sill: The Kiss
Andy Clausen: Robert Henry
Saro (Traditional, Arr. Sam Amidon): Do Unto Others (Traditional, Arr. Golden Gate Quartet)
Performers
Riley Mulherkar, Trumpet
Chloe Rowlands, Trumpet
Andy Clausen, Trombone
Willem de Koch, Trombone
Brass Roots: American Folk Traditions
The Westerlies dig deep into the traditions and lineage of American Folk music, finding common ground between Shape Note hymns, folk anthems, and timeless spirituals. The voices of Woody Guthrie, the Golden Gate Quartet, John Prine, and Judee Sill are heard anew, alongside works by composers whose use of folk melodies transcended their time, from the sophistication of Duke Ellington to the bold imagination of Charles Ives.
About The Westerlies
THE WESTERLIES, “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (New York Times) are a New York-based brass quartet comprised of childhood friends from Seattle: Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch on trombone. Equally at home in concert halls and living rooms, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.
Formed in 2011, the self-described “accidental brass quartet” takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air), The Westerlies create music that is both “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). The ensemble has produced three critically acclaimed albums of genre-defying chamber music: its 2014 debut, Wish the Children Would Come On Home: The Music of Wayne Horvitz (Songlines), a 2016 double-CD of primarily original compositions, The Westerlies (Songlines), and a recent 2020 release, Wherein Lies the Good (Westerlies Records). Sought-after collaborators, The Westerlies are also featured on recordings by Fleet Foxes (Nonesuch), Vieux Farka Touré (Six Degrees Records), Common (Lakeshore) and Dave Douglas (Greenleaf).
As a 501(c)(3) organization, The Westerlies are on a mission to amplify unheard voices, paint new sonic landscapes, and cultivate a global community. The Westerlies are committed to dismantling racism, sexism, and economic inequality in their field, and aim to reflect their values of diversity and inclusion in the music they make and the spaces they occupy. The ensemble engages students of all ages and abilities around the country with their innovative educational assemblies and masterclasses, promoting the values of cooperation and inclusion through music.
Note: In the event of poor weather conditions, all concerts will be re-scheduled for the following day, Sunday at 1 and 3PM. Please check our website for this updated information.
