all concerts start at 7pm.
concerts are at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 261 South 900 East, SLC
NEXT CONCERT Sunday, MArch 29th
March 29,2020 ***POSTPONED***
REFLECTION: FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM - SALLY HUMPHREYS
WHY A WHOLE PROGRAM OF FRENCH MUSIC? THE INSTRUMENTS OF THE WOODWIND QUINTET, AND THE MUSICIANS WHO PLAY THEM, CAN TRACE THEIR GENEOLOGY TO FRENCH TEACHERS AND COMPOSERS. THE VARIETY AND EXPRESSIVENESS OF FRENCH MUSIC HAS ALWAYS APPEALED TO ME - A FLUTIST RAISED ON DEBUSSY AND RAVEL. THIS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS THE BEAUTIFUL COLORS OF OUR INSTRUMENTS AND IS FULL OF LUSCIOUS MELODIES, PLUS THE JAZZY INFLUENCE OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. PIECES BY BOZZA, MILHAUD, FRANCAIX AND OF COURSE DEBUSSY.
May 17, 2020
REFLECTION: “THIRD STREAM JAZZ” - AMY GABBITAS
One grad school class, “Jazz and Jim Crow”, forever changed my perception and appreciation for jazz and musicology. I learned to appreciate the rich heritage surrounding the genre. Classical music adopted jazz idioms to create what composer Gunther Schuller, called “third stream”. We will play pieces celebrating jazz for the woodwind quintet by various composers such as Schuller, Still, Navarro and Wilder.
Past Concerts
September 29, 2019
REFLECTION: KINDRED CONNECTIONS - ANITA MILLER
The inspiration for this concert began through a serendipitous email exchange with composer Amanda Harberg. She gave Aspen Winds permission to play her “Suite for Wind Quintet” even though it was not available to the public at that time. Because it was a brand new piece, we, as a group, had the opportunity to discover “our voice”- and it was a transformative experience for the group. Personally, I felt a kindred connection to this piece; it instantly drew me in by its intricate rhythms and how the beautifully fresh melodies are woven throughout the work. The rest of the program was chosen because of their unique connection to Amanda Harberg and her “Suite for Wind Quintet.” This includes an old favorite by Ferenc Farkas, plus the hauntingly beautiful “Quintet” by composer and satirist John Steinmetz. “Overture to Candide” will start the program because to me, Aspen Winds is “the best of all possible worlds.”
november 17,2019
REFLECTION: ISLAND MISTS - LUCA DE LA FLORIN
Living in a land-locked state is not always easy for someone who came from living on the water's edge. This concert serves to bring the essence of water to the Desert Mountain West. Depicting the coasts of the Americas to beyond, Aspen Winds will perform works that represent the tropics and maritime history. The main attraction of this concert is a full-scale homage to the tragic events of Pearl Harbor and the music that demonstrated the era, both pre and post attacks; an event which launched the United States into World War II. The piece will feature recorded broadcasts from President Franklin D. Roosevelt as well as LIVE broadcasts from the NBC Newsroom intertwined within the melodies and phrases by the quintet. This piece will be a World Premiere. Other composers featured on the program are the Grammy-Winning Joan Tower, Malcolm Arnold, and Daniel Dorff, an American composer who has been in contact with Aspen Winds with whom we are building a great relationship.
january 26, 2020
REFLECTION: AMERICAN VOICES - LUKE PFEIL
Whenever we think of "American Music," our minds automatically go to Copland, Barber, Bernstein. They have written some of the most recognizably "American" music of the past hundred years. But there's so much more of America - and the music of the Americas - to explore and enjoy. This program features music by composers from Central and South America and the Caribbean, as well as U.S. composers of African-American and Native cultures. One piece, "Arrebol," by Brazilian composer Rafael Bezerra, will be a U.S. premiere, and the composer plans to be in attendance.
Posters created by Luca De La Florin