Who We Are

Founded at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, the Risa Quartet is a scintillating chamber ensemble dedicated to showcasing the classical saxophone in the chamber music medium through the renewal of quartet standards, the commissioning of new works by emerging composers, and engaging in educational and community outreach. In the 2025-2026 season, the quartet has performed numerous concerts within the greater Evanston community. Additionally, they collaborated with the student composer Ovya Diwakaran on the world premiere of her piece, Daffodil. The quartet has also designed educational programming in collaboration with local music educators to cultivate a love for music in the next generation. Based in Chicago, the ensemble is composed of Miguel Flores-Padilla (soprano saxophone), Everest Li (alto saxophone), Seth Alexander (tenor saxophone), and Boss Lee (baritone saxophone. The Risa Quartet aims to bring saxophone music to the broader arts community and connect with all audiences.

Meet the Memebers

Miguel Flores-Padilla began his musical journey studying under the 116th Army Band’s Principal Saxophonist, Brandyn Taylor. Miguel performed as Drum Major and soprano saxophone soloist for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, competing at the Drum Corps International (DCI) World Championships in 2024 and 2025. A native of Kennesaw, Georgia, Miguel served as section leader of the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, performing at Carnegie Hall in 2023. Miguel is a National YoungArts Winner in Classical Saxophone, a recipient of the Phi Beta Mu All-State Senior Scholarship, and a recipient of Northwestern University’s Summer Internship Grant Program (SIGP) scholarship. Appearing on Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB)’s Instrument Quest and The 8 to 5 Club podcast, Miguel has committed himself to encouraging the youth’s lifelong interaction with music. He is a current Private Lessons Instructor for the marching arts organization Silent Command. Miguel is earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Saxophone Performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, studying with Taimur Sullivan.

Everest Li is an emerging young artist and classical saxophonist from Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently pursuing a degree in Music Performance at Northwestern University under the tutelage of Professor Taimur Sullivan. In high school, Everest performed Rhapsody by Andre Waignein as a soloist with the Atlanta Wind Symphony after winning the AWS High School Concerto Competition. He also served as principal chair of the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony for three consecutive years and was the section leader during his senior year. With AYWS, Everest performed in renowned venues such as Dvořák Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Atlanta Symphony Hall. Alongside his solo and wind ensemble work, Everest is an avid chamber musician and currently serves as the alto saxophonist of the Risa Quartet. He also has several years of experience performing in chamber concerts and professional engagements with the AYWS Saxophone Quartet. Everest has also received multiple awards, including First Prize in the John H. Head Scholarship Award from the Atlanta Federation of Musicians and the Bob Cowles Scholarship Award. His studies have also taken him to summer programs such as the Brevard Music Center and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Additionally, he has participated in masterclasses with artists including Dr. Timothy McAllister, Taimur Sullivan, and Thomas Giles.

Seth Alexander, originally from Northern Virginia, is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University under the instruction of Professor Taimur Sullivan. Seth has previously received instruction from Sean McGinley, a current student at the Paris Conservatory, and the late Professor Ed Fraedrich of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Seth has performed with numerous groups, such being selected to perform with the Freedom High School Saxophone Quartet at the 2023 Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) and playing different local gigs with the Venture Jazz Collective, a group he co-founded. Seth has participated in several summer saxophone festivals and institutes, including the Mpulse Saxophone Institute under the direction of Dr. Timothy McAllister, the Indiana Summer Saxophone Academy under Dr. Otis Murphy, the National Jazz Workshop at Shenandoah University, and Great Plains Saxophone Workshop. When at home in Virginia, Seth teaches lessons to young saxophone students and helps run events at a local music school.

Originally from Atlanta, Boss Lee is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Saxophone Performance, with a minor in Arts Administration, at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Boss is an active saxophonist who performs ensembles such as the Northwestern University Symphonic Band and is featured in the pit orchestra for the Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts production of The Addams Family. Furthermore, Boss is a founding member of the Risa Quartet, focusing on introducing the classical saxophone to new audiences and participating in educational outreach to local schools. Back in his hometown, Boss is featured on many concerts in partnership with the Roswell Music Club. A champion of chamber music, Boss’s previous quartet, the Chattahoochee High School Saxophone Quartet, was invited to perform at the 78th Midwest Clinic, collaborating with composers Tyler S. Grant, Marc Mellits, Stacy Garrop, and Satoshi Yagisawa. Boss was a From the Top Learning Media and Lab Fellowship finalist, Atlanta Wind Symphony Concerto Competition runner-up, and a recipient of the John Philip Sousa Award. During his off time from school, he serves as a saxophone educator in the metro Atlanta area. Boss’s primary mentors include Taimur Sullivan, Dr. Joe Girard, Dr. Scott Stewart, Nicholas Garofalo, and Matthew Crisman.