Hailed as a “winning combination in every way!”, the Decho Ensemble was founded in 2011 to share the saxophone as it was conceived, an invention of the 19th century Romantic Era with wide ranging expressive capability. The emotive, flexible, vocal quality of the saxophone as experienced and praised by composers such as Berlioz and Puccini paired with voice has become the grounding vision for Decho. Critically acclaimed for their “blend and precision”, the ensemble has performed throughout North America and Europe.

Presenting on concert series, television, and radio, the Decho Ensemble has collaborated with chamber orchestras, poets, dance companies, and ensembles/instrumentalists in addition to their all saxophone programming. Decho has presented at the North American Saxophone Alliance Regional and Biennial Conferences, United States Navy International Saxophone Symposium, the Women Composers Festival of Hartford, International Congress of Voice Teachers, and the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project. Since 2016 the Decho Ensemble has performed and participated in residencies at Mercyhurst University, University of Illinois Chicago, Idaho University at Moscow, and with the Ny Musikks Komponistgruppe in Oslo, Norway as part of their inaugural PULS Festival.

Sarah Marchitelli serves as Lecturer of Music Education at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Dr. Katherine Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Voice and Head of Voice area at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Jacob Swanson holds an Adjunct Lecturer position at SUNY Fredonia, teaches music for the Gowanda Central School District, and is a Vandoren Artist Clinician.

The Decho Ensemble performs on Buescher saxophones built in the United States and Mana Mouthpieces.