Gorton Center will present the Noi Saxophone Quartet, a Chicago-based ensemble marking its 10th season with a program that reimagines the possibilities of the saxophone quartet. Musical America has called the group "the American saxophone quartet du jour." For its Rendezvous Arts debut, Noi will perform a wide-ranging program featuring Arturo Márquez's "Danzón No. 5" and Paquito d'Rivera's "Wapango," both known for their rhythmic energy, along with an arrangement of Schumann's work. The program will also include contemporary works by Sarah Kirkland Snider, Emma O'Halloran, Augusta Read Thomas, Shelley Washington and Travis Laplante, spanning styles from intimate and atmospheric to playful and explosive. Over the past decade, Noi has premiered more than 120 new works and built a national reputation for expanding the range of the saxophone quartet format.

The program's featured visual artist is Diana Leviton Gondek, a Chicago artist whose work draws on personal stories and experiences. Gondek creates paintings that invite viewers to find their own meaning within them. Her background in watercolor remains an influence, though her work has evolved to incorporate thin layers of oil and mixed media, producing layered pieces described as personal and expressive. Gondek studied fine arts before working as an art director at Northwestern University and later returning to her own studio practice. Her work has been exhibited throughout Chicago, across the United States and internationally, and is held in the permanent collection of the Chicago History Museum. She has also created public and commissioned work for organizations including Special Olympics, and her art has been featured in numerous exhibitions, publications and television segments.

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