Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh
From http://www.aeolianwinds.com/about.html
Used with permission by Laurel Kuxhaus
Dedicated to wind chamber music performance, composite on, and
promotion, the Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh were founded in September,
2003, by the original University of Pittsburgh Wind Quintet. The group
has since expanded to include wind chamber ensembles of varying sizes
and players who are not directly a part of the University community.
The name change in May, 2004, formalized this status and strengthened
the group’s mission to integrate high-quality wind music into the
greater Pittsburgh community. The group’s members bring the diverse
experiences of their daily lives and chosen professions to the
music-making, creating a truly unique ensemble.
While primarily a wind quintet, the group also regularly performs both
smaller and larger-scale wind works, such as trios and octets, in both
public and private venues. The diverse venues and programs presented
reach a larger audience than might be found in a typical concert-hall
setting. In addition to formal concerts on the Bach, Beethoven, and
Brunch concert series, the Sanctuary Concert Series at First Baptist
Church, and the University of Pittsburgh Chamber Music Concerts, the
group has provided music at Pittsburgh Symphony Heinz Hall during the
First National Performing Arts Convention. The group also performs in
nontraditional spaces, such as the Quiet Storm Coffeehouse, Schenley
Park, the Waterworks Shopping Mall, and Future Tenant during the first
Gallery Crawl sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. In their
quest to reach an audience that might not typically hear a wind
quintet, the group was featured on a University of Pittsburgh Men’s
Glee Club concert, as well as on the Allegheny Prime Time Chorus’ “Sing
For Life!” benefit concert. Repeat performances at the National Aviary
and the Giant Eagle grocery stores bring wind quintet music to an even
broader audience. The group was featured on WQED-fm’s Bayer Arts
Magazine in July, 2005, and was invited to perform on the inaugural
broadcast of The Morning Show in August, 2006. In addition, the group
regularly performs at private dinners, celebrations, and other
functions.
The Aeolian Winds are particularly dedicated to performing, featuring,
and commissioning works by American composers. The group has performed
works by Eric Ewazen, Stephen Foster, Herman Stein, Robert Muczynski,
Aaron Copland, Leroy Anderson, and Peter Schickele. In addition to
working with Bill Douglas and plans to give the Pittsburgh premiere of
the work later in the 2007-08 season. The group is no stranger to
premieres, having recently completed the Pittsburgh premier of a new
edition of the Wind Quintet in A-flat by Gustav Holst containing
previously unreleased material. This fall they are going to premier a
new wind quintet by composer Greg Bathrolomew.
In collaboration with the Allegheny County Library Association, the
Aeolian Winds have embarked on a series of educational concerts for
children. These interactive, standing room only, concerts entitled
“Musical Storytelling” feature music from Tchaikovsky to Ligeti
including music by American composer John Falcone. The goal is to teach
about classical music, the sounds of wind instruments, and how music
can impact storytelling. Due to their popularity, encore performances
have been requested during 2008.
The Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh have been the artists in residence at
the First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh since August, 2005, and have
recently begun a partnership with the Allegheny County Library
Association.
For more information about the Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh, Visit their
web site at:
http://www.aeolianwinds.com/
This
section is intended to be a place for conductors and musicians to share
information on new music they are playing. If
you have something to contribute please email us the information at
newsletter@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net. Please
include the title, composer/arranger, publisher and a brief description
of the piece. Your description might
include things like difficulty, instrumentation strengths requirements,
style, etc.