The School of Music, Theatre & Dance recently announced that Charlie Kreidler (MM ’27, composition) is the winner of the 2026 Brehm Prize for instrumental composition for his piece Palindrome Through Polka Dot, a work for saxophone quartet.
Kreidler offered this description of his work:
Palindrome Through Polka Dot begins with four tiny, dot-like gestures, each played by a member of the quartet in succession. Throughout the work, these dots quickly evolve through means of stretching, acceleration, distortion, reversal, and collage to create new patterns, shapes, and sculptures. Overall, this piece is a tribute to a uniquely stellar sense of precision and communication found in saxophone quartets. Most importantly, though, it is a testament to how four people can come together to make something greater than the sum of their parts.
Charlie Kreidler
In addition to winning a monetary prize, Kreidler had his work premiered in March by the Cerus Quartet at the 2026 North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Biennial Conference at the Ohio State University. A saxophone ensemble, the Cerus Quartet formed at SMTD and consists of Roberto Campa on soprano saxophone, Laura Ramsay on alto, Kyle Kato on tenor, and Samuel Dishon on baritone.
Open to SMTD students, the Brehm Prize was endowed in 2015 by William (BS ’50, MS ’52) and Delores Brehm, with the goal of encouraging the composition of new works. The competition is overseen by Erik Santos, associate professor of music and chair of the Department of Composition. “The annual Brehm composition competitions are a tremendous opportunity for our creative community,” Santos noted. “Not only do these prizes provide a chance to collaborate with wonderful musicians on a performance and recording, they also serve to awaken composerly aspirations and awareness of individual artistic voice.” Santos went on to note, “Charlie Kreidler’s winning composition for saxophone quartet is a vigorous and wonderfully challenging work that draws upon and expands the vocabulary of this virtuosic medium, which has, over the years, become one of the great hallmark ensembles of our prestigious School of Music, Theatre & Dance.”
Kreidler expressed his gratitude for the support of professors, friends, and family:
I am so grateful to be chosen as the recipient of the 2026 Brehm Prize in Instrumental Composition and feel very lucky that I had the opportunity to have my work premiered at NASA. I’d like to thank my composition professor, Michael Daugherty, for all his guidance and inspiration, as well as my colleagues, friends, and family who support me every day. Finally, none of this would have been possible without the amazing musicianship and dedication of Roberto, Laura, Sam, and Kyle, the four of whom come together to make something truly special, the Cerus Quartet.