Project Fusion is a budding chamber ensemble dedicated to advancing the artistic possibilities of collaboration in music-making. Formed in the autumn of 2010 at the Eastman School of Music, Project Fusion has attracted national attention and critical acclaim through the unique feat of performing musical programs exclusively from memory, as well as winning top prizes consecutively in several national and international chamber music competitions. Recently, Project Fusion won Gold Medal in the 40th Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, 1st Prize in the 2013 Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition, and at the 2013 Plowman International Chamber Music Competition Project Fusion became the first saxophone quartet to claim Grand Prize, as well as the Hugo Vianello Audience Choice Award, in the competition’s history. Fusion has previously won awards in the 2012 North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition, the 2012 Coleman Chamber Music Competition, and the 2012 J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition. Individually, the members of Project Fusion have excelled in the nation’s top solo competitions and their cumulative accolades include winning prizes or participating as finalists in the MTNA Young Artist Solo Competition, the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition, and the North American Saxophone Alliance Young Artist Competition.



The musicians in Project Fusion are each founding members of other award-winning and highly regarded chamber ensembles including the Mana Quartet (grand prizewinners in the Coleman and MTNA competitions), the Zzyzx Quartet (prizewinners in the inaugural North American Saxophone Alliance Competition and finalists the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition), the Avion Quartet (featured performers at the International Society of Music Education Conference in Bologna, Italy) and the Obsidian Quartet. Each member brings his individual chamber music experience to Project Fusion, which aptly represents the ensemble’s vision that collaboration among chamber ensembles is one of the most artistically viable and innovative sources of music-making

Jacob Bernat is following