About Us

Saxophonist Alexander Lee, clarinetists Darren Liou and Kristine Llanderal, bassoonist Matthew Rasmussen, and oboist Thacher Schreiber formed Los Angeles-based reed quintet Fivemind Reeds in the fall of 2021, while they were all students at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Herb Alpert School of Music. Since then, Fivemind has performed in concerts and recitals throughout their native Los Angeles as well as across the United States: In 2022 they were a featured ensemble at the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival at the Mannes School of Music in New York City, and beginning in 2023 Fivemind has served as one of several ensembles in residence for Interlochen Public Radio’s Sound Garden Project, where they have been planting music in unexpected places through innovative programming and performances all throughout Northern Michigan.

The quintet maintains a colorful and diverse repertoire, from old masterworks by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Clara Schumann to landmark contemporary works by composers such as David Biedenbender, Dai Fujikura, Stacy Garrop, Marc Mellits, Nico Muhly, Jeff Scott, and Zhou Long. Fivemind is also incredibly proud to have collaborated with composers such as Jean Ahn, Austin Ali, Madeline Barrett, Nichagarn Chiracharasporn, Thacher Schreiber, and Nadine Silverman. They have also worked with composers through their annual Call for Scores, which has to date received nearly 150 submissions, leading to performances and recordings of work by Theo Chandler, Jonah Cohen, Daniel Cueto, Justin Gruber, Wenbin Lyu, Trenton Rhodes, Shane Valle, Jamie Whitmarsh, and Roger Zare.

Fivemind’s interests lie in bridging the gap between classical and contemporary music, and promoting diversity and equity in the arts through community engagement, expansion of the reed quintet’s repertoire, and revitalization of the age-old traditions of chamber music. Recent engagements include the conclusion of their second concert series in Los Angeles, containing two projects funded by the Culver City Performing Arts Grant and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music respectively. Future engagements include returning to Michigan for a residency at Michigan State University, their 2026 Call for Scores, and other exciting new projects!

Fivemind Reeds is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Los Angeles, California.