Noir Quartet was formed over a lunch back in May of 2013. Dr. Domingues and Dr. Zarate met while in graduate school at USC's Thornton School of Music and have worked together in various musical capacities, including chamber ensembles, orchestras, wind ensembles, recording sessions, and new music performances. Nicholas Casillas, a graduate of UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, merged his talents with Noir Quartet shortly after. The newest addition to the quartet, Steven Ragsdale, a graduate from Cal-State Fullerton, joined in 2016. Together, these four saxophonists and educators blend their artistry, creating a unique and captivating ensemble. Their repertoire includes everything from Bach to Ellington, as well as standard repertoire and new music written for the saxophone quartet idiom. The quartet has been featured on 90.7’s Global Village with John Schneider, Bach in the Subways Union Station, and has performed at schools all over California, sharing the art of chamber music written for the saxophone quartet.