The WHOOP Group: Red-Hot Polish Saxophone Phenomenon Makes HK Début

This summer, Hong Kong Sinfonietta is bringing the charismatic Polish saxophone quartet The WHOOP Group to Hong Kong for the first time for two concerts on 12 and 13 July at Hong Kong City Hall: Hong Kong Sinfonietta feat. The WHOOP Group Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody  and HKS Recital Series: Re: SAXOPHONES There are no rules!.

Helmed by Music Director Emeritus Yip Wing-sie, The WHOOP Group will first perform a virtuosic arrangement of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, arranged by the newly appointed HKS Artist Associate Anna Lo. For the second concert, the quartet will be going all out in a recital showcasing their rule-breaking musical imagination and mastery.

Ahead of their concerts, they shared with us their musical journey, their collaborative process and how they feel about coming to Hong Kong for the first time.

The WHOOP Group, Jakub Muras, Krzysztof Koszowski, Szymon Zawodny and Mateusz Dobosz (from left)

The WHOOP Group is an extremely energetic saxophone quartet composed of the most outstanding Polish saxophonists: Jakub Muras, Mateusz Dobosz, Krzysztof Koszowski and Szymon Zawodny, who were brought together by their love for the saxophone and music, and by their long-term friendship.

“We were all strongly supported by our parents in our musical education, and each of us chose the saxophone for specific reasons at the very beginning of our journey,” they recall. Jakub had always dreamed of playing the saxophone, as his father was a self-taught saxophonist who never allowed him to play his instrument. So the first saxophone Jakub ever touched was his own. Mateusz’s story is quite the opposite. His father was a professional saxophonist and his first teacher. Krzysztof attended a music school’s demonstration lessons for various instruments, and liked the trumpet and the saxophone. He ultimately chose the saxophone because the trumpet player’s face turned bright red while playing! Szymon, on the other hand, was encouraged to take up the saxophone by his father, who had always loved its sound.

Jakub, Krzysztof and Szymon met in high school, studying with the same teacher and living together in a dormitory. They played together in various ensembles. They met Mateusz through numerous music competitions and courses. After completing their studies in different parts of Europe, they all eventually returned to Poland and decided to form a quartet. They knew the group had great potential, but they also simply wanted to spend more time together. Although each member also pursues individual musical projects, it is performing as a quartet that brings them the greatest joy and fulfillment.

The WHOOP Group specialises in performing classical and contemporary music in their own arrangements, as well as their original compositions for saxophone quartet, but they are also at ease in other genres (jazz, film and entertainment music). They combine virtuosity and liveliness with outstanding musicality and perfection, and are developing at a rapid pace and enjoying the recognition from audiences all over the world.

After releasing their début album Crimes, The WHOOP Group was nominated for “Discovery of the Year” at the prestigious Coryphaeus of Polish Music Award 2018, and in 2023, the group received a Fryderyk Award (Polish equivalent of the Grammys) for the album Debut, where they performed as soloists in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Warsaw Saxophone Orchestra.

Among many others, the group has performed at festivals and venues such as Un Violon sur le Sable in France, Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, Christopher Summer Festival in Vilnius, Swaledale Festival in England, Musik in den Häusern der Stadt in Hamburg, La Folle Journee de Varsovie and the Warsaw National Philharmonic.

When asked about their collaborative process for creating new music, they explain: “When we create something new, it always starts with one of us — the person who, at that moment, feels a strong inner urge to bring something fresh to the group. When we meet for rehearsals and someone brings a new arrangement or composition, we always try to play through the material and share our impressions and suggestions”.

On 12 July, the quartet will tackle Rachmaninov’s virtuosic and timeless masterpiece arranged for saxophone quartet by HKS Artist Associate Anna Lo, under the baton of Music Director Emeritus Yip Wing-sie. On 13 July, the quartet will be going all out in a recital showcasing works such as Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro Overture, excerpts from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Holst’s St Paul’s Suite, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, etc – all arranged for saxophones by members of the quartet.

“For our performance as soloists with Hong Kong Sinfonietta, we will be presenting something entirely new — the world première of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninov, arranged by Anna Lo. We fell in love with the piece during rehearsals, and we hope the audience will feel the same. The program we will perform during our recital could best be described as The Best of The WHOOP Group. It’s a collection of pieces we’ve played most frequently over the past years — works that have proven to be audience favourites and earned the greatest recognition. We will also include selections from our newest project, featuring Polish and improvised music (notably Krzysztof Komeda), making the concert truly diverse and engaging,” they explain.

The quartet feels particularly enthusiastic about their Hong Kong début and already hope they will come back to the city. “Honestly, every aspect of this trip fills us with excitement! The world première of Rachmaninov’s Paganini , meeting new people, discovering new places, THE FOOD! All of it has had us counting down the days to our arrival in Hong Kong. We hope it will be a wonderful adventure and not just a one-time experience”.

The WHOOP Group will also appear at a fan meeting event prior to their HK début. The free event will be exclusive to ticket-holders of their concerts. Register here.

More details about the concerts can be found here:

12 July: The WHOOP Group Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody

13 July: HKS Recital Series: Re: SAXOPHONES There are no rules!