Vivacious US Woodwind Ensemble Imani Winds' NZ Tour

Vivacious US Woodwind Ensemble Imani Winds Performs Wellington Concerts on New Zealand Tour

“Sultry sophistication” – Washington Post

“There’s a big vivacious, steel-belt of a sound Imani gets when playing at the top of its lungs” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

Grammy-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds makes its New Zealand debut with a national tour as the final concert in Chamber Music New Zealand’s Kaleidoscopes 2017 Season.

Celebrating 20 years since its formation, Imani Winds performs in 10 centres beginning in Wellington onTuesday 26 September before heading to Auckland, Hamilton, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. The tour also includes special concerts for children in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin.

Imani (‘faith’ in Swahili) Winds began in 1997 when flutist Valerie Coleman, recently named by the Washington Post as one of the top 35 female composers in classical music, decided to create an ensemble bringing together some of the top African-American woodwind players around. The ensemble aims to make music which changes people’s lives.

Oboeist Toyin Spellman-Diaz said the relevance of classical music is under-represented in people’s thoughts today and “especially newly-made contemporary classical music. For Imani Winds it doesn’t matter whether the music was written by composers who lived 50 years ago or composers who wrote their music 50 days ago; all music has a purpose.

“Music without words can be even more universally meaningful than music with lyrics because the meaning is up for interpretation.”

Bassoonist Monica Ellis describes the programme for the Imani Winds concerts as the ensemble’s “greatest hits” along with a new Chamber Music New Zealand commission by New Zealand composer Natalie Hunt, Snapshots.

“We are fortunate enough to have two composers in the ensemble and their original and arranged works have been in our repertoire for many years,” she said.

The programme for the Wellington concert includes Valerie Coleman’s Red Clay and Mississippi Delta as well as Imani Winds’ arrangement of famed orchestral classic, Scheherazade, which Ellis said “works wonderfully for wind quintet.

“And we'll perform pieces by our friend and musical icon, Paquito D'Rivera – bringing a bit of Cuban, Latin jazz to New Zealand.”

Arrangements by Imani Winds’ French horn player Jeff Scott also feature including Piazolla’s Contrabajissimo. Scott has worked on major musical productions including The Lion King on Broadway for eight years, and played jazz with Wynton Marsalis.

He said he sees a place for jazz and other American popular music on the classical concert stage. “It’s the challenge for the 21st Century musician to train for the flexibility and sensibility in these genres alongside the traditional Western classical canon.

“While jazz and popular styles do not make it into every composition or arrangement I write, the colours remain as options amongst the spectrum of choices at any point of the process.”

As part of the Wellington visit, Chamber Music New Zealand also presents Imani Winds in a free concert for children aged 8-12 years – Musical Journey Around The World.

Ellis said Imani Winds enjoys performing for children. “Kids can be especially fun to play for, particularly when you see you are exposing them to something that they've never experienced before. If we can encourage a young person to pick up an instrument, study music or simply become a well-rounded concertgoer, then that's great for not only us as professional musicians, but us all as a society.”

Imani Winds performs at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington on Tuesday 26 September at 7.30pmwith a Prelude Series pre-concert talk at 6.45pm. Tickets are available through Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz or phone 0800 TICKETEK (842 538).

Musical Journey Around The World is on Tuesday 26 September at 11.00am. Register for this free concert by emailing bringthefamily@chambermusic.co.nz

As part of the tour, Chamber Music New Zealand will also announce the 2018 Concert Season. For details and booking information visit www.chambermusic.co.nz/imaniwinds

Experience Imani Winds here
Download high resolution images here

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Sally Woodfield | Publicist – Chamber Music New Zealand
M: 021 868 020 | E: sally@chambermusic.co.nz

IMANI WINDS
Valerie Coleman (flute)
Toyin Spellman-Diaz (oboe)
Mark Dover (clarinet)
Jeff Scott (French horn)
Monica Ellis (bassoon)

WELLINGTON: Michael Fowler Centre | Tuesday 26 September 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz

Programme: Tradition and the Innovative
Valerie Coleman | Red Clay and Mississippi Delta
Rimsky-Korsakov (arr. Jonathan Russell) | Selections from Scheherazade
Piazzolla (arr. Jeff Scott) | Contrabajissimo
Natalie Hunt | Snapshots (CMNZ commission)
Paquito D'Rivera | A Farewell Mambo
Simon Shaheen (arr. Jeff Scott) | Dance Mediterranea

MUSICAL JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD
A programme for children aged 8-12 years with an accompanying educational resource. Featuring original and arranged compositions with explanations emphasising that music for wind quintet comes from all parts of the world.
WELLINGTON: Michael Fowler Centre | Tuesday 26 September 11:00am | Free concert – Registrations essential. Email: bringthefamily@chambermusic.co.nz

FULL TOUR DATES AND TICKETS
Programme One: Tradition and the Innovative
(Hamilton, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin)
Valerie Coleman | Red Clay and Mississippi Delta
Rimsky-Korsakov (arr. Jonathan Russell) | Selections from Scheherazade
Piazzolla (arr. Jeff Scott) | Contrabajissimo
Natalie Hunt | Snapshots (CMNZ commission)
Paquito D'Rivera | A Farewell Mambo
Simon Shaheen (arr. Jeff Scott) | Dance Mediterranea

Programme Two: Classically Improvised
(Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Nelson, Invercargill)
Mongo Santamaria (arr. Valerie Coleman) | Afro Blue
Ravel (arr. Mason Jones) | Tombeau de Couperin
Paquito D’Rivera | Kites
Natalie Hunt | Snapshots (CMNZ commission)
Valerie Coleman | Portraits of Josephine
Piazzolla (arr. Jeff Scott) | Libertango

WELLINGTON: Michael Fowler Centre | Tuesday 26 September 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz
PALMERSTON NORTH: Regent on Broadway | Wednesday 27 September 7:30pm | Book tickets at TicketDirect 0800 224 224 www.ticketdirect.co.nz
HAWKE’S BAY: MTG Century Theatre | Thursday 28 September 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz
HAMILTON: Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts | Saturday 30 September 7:30pm | Book tickets at www.waikato.ac.nz/events
NEW PLYMOUTH: Theatre Royal | Monday 2 October 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz
NELSON: Old St John’s Church | Wednesday 4 October 7.30pm | Book tickets at TicketDirect 0800 224 224 www.ticketdirect.co.nz
DUNEDIN: Glenroy Auditorium | Saturday 7 October 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz
INVERCARGILL: Civic Theatre | Sunday 8 October 5:00pm | Book tickets at TicketDirect 0800 224 224 www.ticketdirect.co.nz
CHRISTCHURCH: Isaac Theatre Royal | Tuesday 10 October 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz
AUCKLAND: Auckland Town Hall | Thursday 12 October 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz

MUSICAL JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD
A programme for children aged 8-12 years with an accompanying educational resource. Featuring original and arranged compositions with explanations emphasising that music for wind quintet comes from all parts of the world.
WELLINGTON: Michael Fowler Centre | Tuesday 26 September 11:00am | Free concert – Registrations essential. Email: bringthefamily@chambermusic.co.nz
AUCKLAND: Auckland Town Hall | Thursday 12 October 11:00am | Free concert – Registrations essential. Email: bringthefamily@chambermusic.co.nz

MUSIC IS FUN!
Designed for children aged 3-7 years, programme highlights include instrument demonstrations and short classical and world music pieces that allow children’s imaginations to soar.
DUNEDIN: Glenroy Auditorium | Saturday 7 October 11.00am | Free concert – Registrations essential. Email: bringthefamily@chambermusic.co.nz

ENDS

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