Founded in 2020 in Athens, GA, the Unit Quartet is an emerging saxophone quartet composed of graduate students at the University of Georgia. They are committed to performing music for audiences both near and far, being scheduled to perform as featured guests for the International Saxophone Academy, Lift Music Fund, and the Athens Community Council on Aging.

Member Bios

Saxophonist Dan Phipps is a performer and teacher based in Athens, GA. Passionate about the music of now, Dan has worked with composers to breathe life into compositions as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, and improviser. He maintains an active teaching schedule, serving as the interim saxophone instructor at Atlanta Music Academy. Dan is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Georgia under the tutelage of Dr. Connie Frigo. He holds degrees from the University of Georgia (MM) and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (BM).

Michael Matthews is a twenty-three-year-old saxophonist from Greer, South Carolina. In 2020, he graduated from the Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester, earning a bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance with a minor in legal studies after four years studying with Dr. Chien-Kwan Lin. He is now in the first year of study in the master’s program for saxophone performance at the University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music, in the studio of Dr. Connie Frigo. Michael intends to continue studying music and the saxophone in the future while earning a doctoral degree. He hopes to one day teach at the collegiate level to share his teaching with future generations of saxophonists while utilizing the platform of academia to facilitate a meaningful connection between a “School of Music” and its local community, in part by providing free musical resources to nearby aspiring professional or recreational musicians. 

Melvin Robinson, a native from Duncan, SC, is a Graduate Assistant at the University of Georgia pursuing a Master of Music from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the School of Social Work. Robinson was a finalist in the 2019 MTNA National Young Artist Competition, and after graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Furman University in Greenville, SC in 2019, Robinson has developed a passion for combining music with social justice. In 2020, Robinson co-founded the Hugh Hodgson School of Music student committee on Actionable Anti-Racism and Inclusion. His primary teachers include Connie Frigo, Matt Olson, Cecilia Kang, and Xin Gao.

Grace Gelpi (she/they), currently based in Athens, Georgia, is a versatile saxophonist passionate about the intersection of contemporary music and social justice. She is the graduate teaching assistant for the saxophone studio at the University of Georgia under the mentorship of Dr. Connie Frigo. She currently serves on the North American Saxophone Alliance Committee on the Status of Women+ and the Hugh Hodgson School of Music Actionable Anti-Racism and Inclusion committee. Visit her website at: www.gracegelpi.com