CONWAY, Ark. (February
24, 2020) — The Hendrix College Department of Music is proud to present Imani
Winds in concert
Thursday, April 16, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. in Reves Recital Hall, Trieschmann Fine
Arts Building. The performance, which is free and open to the public, is part
of the College’s Harold Thompson Concert Series.
In 20 years of
music making, the Grammy nominated Imani Winds has led both a revolution and
the evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous
programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavors that have
inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
“Imani Winds is a
groundbreaking wind quintet that is recognized internationally as a leading
chamber music ensemble,” said Dr. Gretchen Renshaw James, assistant professor
of music and director of the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble. “Bringing Imani to
Hendrix as part of the Harold Thompson Concert Series continues the Music
Department’s commitment to engaging with musicians of the highest caliber,
which allows both our Hendrix students and the broader central Arkansas
community to experience world-class artistry right here in Conway.”
While the
ensemble’s playlist embraces traditional chamber music repertoire, as a 21st
century group, Imani Winds also expands the wind quintet repertoire by
commissioning music from new voices that reflect historical events and the
times in which we currently live.
Present and
future season performances include a Jessie Montgomery composition inspired by
her great-grandfather’s migration from the American south to the north; and,
socially conscious music by Andy Akiho designed to be performed both on the
concert stage and in front of immigrant detention centers throughout the
country.
Imani Winds
regularly performs in prominent international concert venues, including Carnegie
Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Walt Disney Hall and the Kimmel
Center. Their touring schedule has taken them throughout the Asian continent,
Brazil, Australia, England, New Zealand and across Europe.
Their national presence
includes performances at chamber music series in Boston, New York, Washington
D.C., San Francisco, Philadelphia and Houston. Festival performances include
Chamber Music Northwest, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Ravinia Festival,
Chautauqua, Banff Centre and Music from Angel Fire.
Imani Winds’
travels through the jazz world are highlighted by their association with
saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, woodwind artist and composer Paquito
D’Rivera and pianist and composer Jason Moran. Their ambitious project, “Josephine
Baker: A Life of Le Jazz Hot!” featured chanteuse René Marie in performances
that brought the house down in New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Los Angeles
and St. Louis.
Imani Winds’
commitment to education runs deep. The group participates in residencies
throughout the U.S., giving performances and master classes to thousands of
students each year. Academic and institutional residencies include the Chamber
Music Society of Lincoln Center, Duke University, University of Chicago, Curtis
Institute of Music, University of Michigan, Da Camera of Houston and numerous
others across the country.
The ensemble
launched its annual Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival in 2010, bringing
together young instrumentalists and composers from across North America and
abroad for exploration and performance of the standard repertoire and newly
composed chamber music. Festival participants also take part in workshops
devoted to entrepreneurial and outreach opportunities, with the goal of
creating the complete musician and global citizen.
Imani Winds has
six albums on Koch International Classics and E1 Music, including their Grammy
Award nominated recording, The Classical
Underground. They have also recorded for Naxos and Blue Note and released
Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring on Warner Classics. Imani Winds is regularly
featured on all media platforms including NPR, American Public Media, the BBC,
SiriusXM, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
In 2016, Imani
Winds received their greatest accolade in their 20 years of music making: a
permanent presence in the classical music section of the Smithsonian’s National
Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C.
About
Hendrix College
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns
recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is
featured in Colleges
That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About
Colleges.
Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix
as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To
learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.