LANSING, Mich. — Imani Winds is a Grammy-nominated wind quintet that for the past two decades has created meaningful connections through music and, by doing so, has set a new standard for chamber music. The group blends traditional chamber music and newly commissioned work that reflects historical events and today’s issues. Imani Winds harnesses dynamic playing and adventurous programming to create breathtaking performances. They are returning to Wharton Center for one night only on Friday, November 8, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the official source to purchase Wharton Center tickets online, whartoncenter.com; at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office; or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.
Imani Winds has received one of the highest accolades: a permanent presence in the classical music section of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. This wind quartet tours internationally, performing in prominent concert venues while remaining committed to music education along the way. Their Wharton Center performance includes the following carefully selected pieces:
· Startin Sumthin – Jeff Scott (b. 1967): This is a modern take on the genre of ragtime music. Ragtime’s unique syncopation of notes creates a melodic rhythm that induces listeners to move to the music. The “King of Ragtime”, Scott Joplin, calls this interesting effect “weird and intoxicating.”
· Quintet for Winds - John Harbison (b. 1938): Harbison frequently wrote how the process of composing for winds and the collaboration that results from working with wind players brings him pleasure. This piece is seen to many as a celebration of that pleasure, and it is full of unusual precise and varied textures and contrasts between different combinations of instruments.
· La Nouvelle Orleans - Lalo Shifrin (b. 1932): Written in 1987, the piece taps into traditional New Orleans funeral music and shifts to music inspired by the brass band parades called a “2nd line.” The piece ranges from long solos to a jazzy romp in the middle and a big band conclusion.
· Sechs Bagatellen - György Ligeti (1923-2006): These brief pieces are arrangements of movements from Ligeti’s Musica Ricerata, a collection of piano pieces written from 1951 and 1952. Lasting just over a total of ten minutes, the harmonic language remains tonal, and the writing for the winds is deft and idiomatic.
· The Light is the Same - Reena Esmail (b. 1983): This piece is based off the wise words from the 13th-century Sufi mystic poet, Rumi, that even if our methods for searching for meaning and happiness look very different, the things we seek are so similar. Two melodies are generated within the piece, and the way they move makes them feel worlds apart, but in reality, their notes are almost identical.
· Tzigane - Valerie Coleman (b. 1970): This new piece of work is full of Romani and middle eastern styles, and each solo is brought to life with a certain level of freedom and passion. A constant undercurrent rhythm provides the drive of the piece while a virtuosity found in gypsy winds soars above. The result is a colorful, highly charged journey within one substantial movement.
Imani Winds will be doing a residency with the MSU College of Music. For one week, the musicians will engage in coaching, master classes and workshops with MSU students. As part of the MSUFCU Entrepreneurial Musical Artist in Residence program (EMAR), music majors have the opportunity to learn from and network with successful, progressive artists. Many of the Imani Winds master classes and workshops are free and open to the public. For more information about the residency, please visit www.music.msu.edu/event-listing/imani-winds-outreach-and-educational-engagement. The quintet will also be visiting local students at Chippewa Middle School and Okemos High School.
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