Hudson O’Reilly
Hudson O’Reilly is a rising saxophonist based in Evanston, IL. Hudson has found success in a variety of competitions, including first prize at the 2025 Vandoren Emerging Artists Competition. Additionally, he has earned several distinctions in other national competitions, including Northwestern University’s Concerto & Aria Competition, the North American Saxophone Alliance Solo Competition, and the International Saxophone Academy’s Grand Finals competition.
Hudson serves as the Director of Operations and alto saxophonist of the Synchrony Quartet, a saxophone quartet formed by four Northwestern students with a mission to promote new works for our instrument through commissioning, collaborating, and arranging. Synchrony has skyrocketed to success, with the new ensemble winning first prize at the MTNA National Chamber Music Competition and the North American Saxophone Alliance Quartet Competition, the Anne D. Moran Silver Prize at the Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition, and the grand prize at the Coltman National Chamber Music Competition. The ensemble has performed around the country, with recent guest performances at the Peabody Conservatory and guest artist residencies at Sam Houston State University and James Madison University.
As a part of the Northwestern University Saxophone Ensemble, Hudson has premiered several new works by student composers and taken part in the ensemble’s long-standing collaboration with Chicago-based composer Stacy Garrop, premiering several of her choral works as arranged for saxophone ensemble and saxophone quartet. In the fall of 2024, the Northwestern University Saxophone Ensemble launched a collaboration with the University’s jazz program, culminating in a concert of genre-bending saxophone music inspired by the legendary Prism Quartet’s Heritage / Evolution project. The group’s most recent undertaking is a collaboration with acclaimed British composer Chris Dench for a performance of his new work, 10^62, featuring saxophone soloist Thomas Giles, which premiered at the 2026 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference.
Hudson has recently performed with the Chicago Metropolitan Orchestra and the Evanston Symphony, participated in the Chicago premiere of Susan Botti’s Sull’ala for saxophone and wind ensemble in Evanston, IL, and was a featured soloist on composer Jasmine Thomasian’s Refractions concert at the Bramble Arts Loft in Chicago, IL. He has previously performed at the Ann Arbor Summer Fest as soprano chair of the American Saxophone Academy’s Saxophone Ensemble and been featured with the Synchrony Quartet at the Navy Band Symposium in Fairfax, VA.
Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Music at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, Hudson studies with Professor Taimur Sullivan. Hudson will continue his studies at Northwestern University for his Master’s of Music in the fall. He has previously studied with Dr. Jonathan Wintringham.