Woodwind Quintet Performs Contemporary American Music
Solaris, a woodwind quintet that has toured around the world, and guest artist Joseph Lulloff will perform in the Remick Heritage Center at Alma College at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10th in a concert that is free and open to the public.
The program of masterworks includes Daniel McCarthy’s new work, “Black Belt, White Cadillac,” for wind quintet and saxophone. McCarthy is composer in residence at the University of Akron whose recorded works have been nominated for several Grammy Awards.
Other works on the program include Danzi’s Quintet in F Major, Alec Wilder’s Quintet No. 10 and Milhaud’s “Scaramouche” for saxophone and quintet.
Solaris
The addition of a saxophone will add new dimensions to the quintet’s performance, says Murray Gross, director of the Alma Symphony Orchestra.
“Woodwind quintets are very fun to listen to because of the mixing of the five different sounds,” he says. “The addition of a saxophone will diversify and complement this sound in playful and interesting ways.”
Solaris is the faculty ensemble-in-residence at the University of Akron. Since its formation in 1976, it has established a reputation for tonal beauty and superb playing, according to Gross.
The quintet has toured Italy, Brazil, Sweden and the United States. Solaris’ repertoire ranges from ars nova to avante garde and includes a variety of national styles, particularly music of the Americas.
Their works with contemporary American music can be experienced on two CDs for Capstone Records: American Quintets, released in 2000, and American Quintets II, released in 2003. The group comprises Kristina Jones, clarinet; Jack Harel, oboe, Cynthia Cloffari, bassoon, William Hoyt, horn, and George Pope, flute.
Lulloff, Distinguished Professor of Saxophone at Michigan State University, is acclaimed internationally for his innovative style and musical virtuosity. He performs regularly with symphony orchestras throughout the United States and as a soloist in many venues in the Americas, Europe, Russia, Southeast Asia and Japan. He has conducted teaching residences at the Paris Conservatory and conservatories throughout Russia, and has been a member of the summer artist faculty at the Brevard Music Center since 1999.
Posted: Wed, September 28th, 2011 at 4:07PM
