Hailed as a “winning combination in every way!”, Decho was founded by Sarah Marchitelli and Jacob Swanson in 2011 with the intention of sharing the saxophone as a concert instrument of wide ranging capability. Critically acclaimed for their “blend and precision”, the ensemble has performed throughout North America and Europe. Following years of continuous collaboration, in 2019 Dr. Katherine Petersen joined Decho to champion works for voice and saxophone.

Presenting on concert series, television, and radio, the Decho Ensemble has collaborated with chamber orchestras, poets, dance companies, and ensembles/instrumentalists in addition to their all saxophone programming. Decho has presented at the North American Saxophone Alliance Regional and Biennial Conferences, United States Navy International Saxophone Symposium, the Women Composers Festival of Hartford, International Congress of Voice Teachers, and the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project. Since 2016 the Decho Ensemble has participated in residencies at Mercyhurst University, Idaho University at Moscow, and with the Ny Musikks Komponistgruppe in Oslo, Norway as part of their inaugural PULS Festival.

Sarah Marchitelli serves as Lecture of Music Education at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Dr. Katherine Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Voice and Head of Voice area at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Jacob Swanson teaches music for the Gowanda Central School District and is a Vandoren Artist Clinician.

The Decho Ensemble performs on vintage Buescher saxophones built in the United States.