Our Story
The Ensemble
“Aruna” translates literally to “red, ruddy, tawny”– a succinct descriptor of the dust storms and sprawling, flatland sunsets that visually define the quartet’s place of origin, Lubbock, Texas. During the group’s time at Texas Tech University, they were recognized in national and international competitions including being awarded the Grand Prize at the 46th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. The Aruna Quartet has now dedicated itself to cultivating curiosity in audiences with music of many styles and time periods. The group presents intimate concerts and educational programs that draw on the young mind’s capacity for creativity. The Aruna Quartet’s current focus is in exploring new ways to collaborate with composers, storytellers and other musicians.
The Individuals
Will Pyle
Will was born in Boston, MA but grew up in San Antonio, TX. From a young age, Will’s interests have always been in flux — he bounced from soccer practice to the capoeira studio to playing video games with his friends. His taste in music also changed regularly. He is the kind of music fan who will become engrossed in a particular Artist, seeking out an encyclopedic knowledge of their work before inevitably moving on to something new and, more likely than not, very different. The exception to this rule has been his experience making chamber music, which started when Will convinced his high-school friends to form the, now award winning, Quid Nunc Saxophone Quartet. And as a freshman at Texas Tech University, he became a founding member in the Aruna Quartet. This enduring love of making chamber music has now led him to continue his studies at the Eastman School of Music. While this love of “saxophone with friends” has become a constant his life, his listening habits remain as obsessive and sporadic as they were in his youth. His last obsession was Tony Rice, but he has since moved on to Brahms, Symphony no.1.
Tony Guzman
Jose “Tony” Guzman is a native of Rio Grande City, TX. Much of his childhood was spent with a controller in hand, playing the video game Halo and trying to “go pro”. Fast forward 10 years, and he has not “gone pro”, but at least he can play the saxophone. All joking aside, Tony is Aruna’s resident Jack of all trades. By dawn he’s playing the stock market, by midday he’s working on his eBay store and by night he’s either practicing, writing articles on professional boxing, or maybe even playing some Halo.
Ryan Hill
Though he was born in New Jersey, Ryan has called Austin, Texas his home since 2005. After graduating from Vandegrift High School in 2014, Ryan went on to study music at Texas Tech University, where he became a founding member of the Aruna Quartet. He is currently entering his final year of his master’s degree in saxophone performance at the same institution. Aside from music, Ryan has had an ear to the ground on all things video games since he was in middle school and is currently acquiring parts for his first PC build.
Andrew Schoen
Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Andrew’s musical journey began during his middle school years by playing bass guitar in a garage band with his neighborhood street hockey friends. The group, “Cheer Up Charlie,” had a dream of joining the wave of early-mid 2000s alternative rock bands and aspired to become the next Hawthorne Heights. By the 8th grade, Cheer up Charlie disbanded due to ‘creative differences’ which prompted Andrew to shift his focus to the world of percussion. After a short stint playing bass drum in a South Carolina marching percussion ensemble, Andrew’s love for making questionable low noises eventually manifested in the saxophone. After many years of studying music in school and playing in many different types of ensembles, Andrew finally found the perfect home serving as the baritone saxophonist of the Aruna Quartet.
We are a Texas-based chamber ensemble whose mission is to cultivate curiosity through presentation of contemporary and traditional music in intimate performances and interactive educational programs.
In order to further our artistic mission we are incorporated as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity with the following purposes:
Present musical performances for public audiences
Foster the creation of new musical and multimedia artistic works
Present educational programs pertaining to music
Our organization is still relatively small, but will continue to grow and evolve as we expand the impact on our communities.