Imani Winds

Imani Winds is an American wind quintet based in New York City, United States. The group was founded by flutist Valerie Coleman in 1997[1] and is known for its adventurous and diverse programming, which includes both established and newly composed works.[2] The word Imani means "faith" in Swahili. They are also active commissioners of new music with the intent of introducing more diverse composers to the wind quintet repertoire.[3]

Imani Winds
OriginNew York City, United States
GenresClassical, Chamber music, Jazz, Latin
Years active1997 – present
LabelsKoch Int'l Classics/Koch Entertainment
MembersBrandon Patrick George, flute
Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe
Mark Dover, clarinet
Kevin Newton, French Horn
Monica Ellis, bassoon
Past membersValerie Coleman, flute
Jeff Scott, French Horn
Mariam Adam, clarinet
Websitewww.ImaniWinds.com

Overview

The name "Imani Winds" was chosen by Coleman before she formed the quintet. She viewed it as a vision of what the quintet could mean to African-American and other underrepresented communities.[1] Coleman wanted to form a chamber group to highlight the work of underrepresented composers and performers.[1] Therefore, the group's initial members were all of African American and Latino ancestry. The group first included Valerie Coleman on flute, Toyin Spellman-Diaz on oboe, Monica Ellis on bassoon, Mariam Adam on clarinet, and Jeff Scott on french horn.[1] In 2016 Mark Dover replaced Mariam Adam, in 2018 Brandon Patrick George replaced Valerie Coleman, and in 2021, Kevin Newton replaced Jeff Scott.

The group has released four CDs. Their first CD on a major label, The Classical Underground (Koch Entertainment), was released in January 2005 and was nominated for a Grammy award in 2006.[4]

In 2001 they won the Richard S. Weinert Award for Innovation in Classical Music from the Concert Artists Guild.[5] In 2002, they won the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and the CMA/WQXR Recording Award for their first album Umoja.[6] In 2007, they won the ASCAP Concert Music Award.[7]

Imani Winds have toured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, and participated in Chamber Music Society Two, a professional residency program of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.[8] In addition, Imani has toured internationally and recorded with saxophonist Steve Coleman, performed with pop recording artists Morley, and opened for Cassandra Wilson and Wynton Marsalis.[9] They have performed with several notable jazz musicians such as Wayne Shorter, Steve Coleman, Paquito D'Rivera, and Steffon Harris. They have appeared on radio programs including Saint Paul Sunday,[10] Performance Today,[11] Performance Today,[6] News & Notes,[12] The Bob Edwards Show,[13] and The World.[6]

Legacy Commissioning Project

Imani Winds began the Legacy Commissioning Project in 2008 with the intention of commissioning and premiering ten new works for wind quintet by composers of color and diverse backgrounds over a five-year period.[14] The group has continued to commission and premiered more works after the initial five-year time frame, and the group has continued their original intent to introduce more diverse composers to the standard wind quintet repertoire.

Commissions
Composer Title(s) For LCP Notes
Fred Ho[15] Josephine Baker's Angels from the Rainbow Yes
Paquito D'Rivera[16] Kites Yes
Wayne Shorter[16] Terra Incognita Yes
Alvin Singleton[17] Through it All Yes
Roberto Sierra[3] Concierto de Camara Yes
Jason Moran Cane[18] Jump Cut Rose[19] Yes
Daniel Bernard Roumain[18] Five Chairs and One Table Yes
Stefon Harris[20] Anatomy of a Box (A Sonic Painting in Wood, Metal, and Wind) Yes
Jonathan Russell Arrangement of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring[21] Arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade[22]

Arrangement of Holst's The Planets[23]

 Yes
Simon Shaheen[24] Zafir Yes
Danilo Perez Travesias Panamenas Yes
Muhammed Fairouz Jebel Lebnan[25] Deep Rivers[26] Yes
Vijay Iyer[27] Bruits Yes
Jeff Scott Passion for Bach & Coltrane[28] Arrangement of Fauré's Pavane Yes
Frederic Rzewski[27] Sometimes Yes
Reena Esmail[29] The Light is the Same Yes
Courtney Bryan[30] Blooming Yes
Valerie Coleman Bronzeville[30] Phenomenal Woman, Concerto for Wind Quintet[31] Yes
Aaron Helgeson[32] Calls of close and away Yes
Henry Threadgill[33] 2.6 Pentadactyl Yes
Alison Yun-Fei Jiang[34] On Light and Birds Yes
Ted Moore[34] feedback vii: speak, contain Yes
Kevin Kay[34] Quiver Yes
Maria Kaoutzani[34] Speak, Mind Yes
J. P. Redmond[35] 9X9: Nine Pieces for Nonet Yes
James Primosch[36] Four Sketches Yes
Jessie Montgomery[37] Sargeant McCauley Yes
Ledah Finck[38] Fractured Fossil Yes
Nathalie Joachim[39] Seen Yes
Richard Wernick[40] Quintet for Winds No Premiered but did not commission
Kenji Bunch[41] Shout Chorus No Premiered but did not commission

Discography[42]
Year Title Label
2002 Umoja Imani Winds
2005 The Classical Underground Koch International Classics / Koch
2006 The Imani Winds Koch International Classics / Koch / Koch International
2007 Josephine Baker: A Life of le Jazz Hot! eOne / Koch / Koch International Classics
2008 This Christmas Koch / Koch International / Koch International Classics
2010 Terra Incongnita E1 Entertainment
2013 Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring EMI Classics
2016 Startin' Sumthin' eOne
2021 Bruits Bright Shiny Things

With Steve Coleman

  • 1999 – The Ascension to Light

With Brubeck Brothers Quartet

  • 2008 – Classified

With Chick Corea[43]

  • 2012 - The Continents: Concerto for Jazz Quintet & Chamber Orchestra

With Wayne Shorter

With Mohammed Fairouz[44]

  • 2013 – Native Informant

With Edward Simon[45]

  • 2018 – Sorrows & Triumphs

References
  1. Westbrook, Peter (Spring 2008). "Valerie Coleman: Revitalizing the Woodwind Quintet". The Flutist Weekly. 33: 36–39.
  2. DeLorenzo, LC (19 June 2012). "Missing Faces from the Orchestra: An Issue of Social Justice?". Music Educators Journal. 98: 39–46. doi:10.1177/0027432112443263. S2CID 144082775.
  3. Schweitzer, Vivien (2008-11-14). "Sound of Woodwinds, Calling for Change". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  4. "Complete List Of 2006 Grammy Nominees". Music-slam.com. 2005-12-08. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  5. "Imani Winds Receives CAG's Inaugural Innovation Award". NewMusicBox. 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  6. "Imani Winds". LA Phil. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  7. "Del Tredici, Oteri, Gil Rose and Imani Winds receive 2007 ASCAP Concert Music Awards | BMOP". www.bmop.org. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  8. "The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center | About CMS » CMS Two Alumni". Chambermusicsociety.org. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  9. "Imani Winds". Kennedy-center.org. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  10. "Saint Paul Sunday: Imani Winds plays Haas, del Aguila". Saintpaulsunday.publicradio.org. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  11. "Jeremy Denk and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra". Yourclassical.org. 2016-05-26. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  12. "Classical Chamber Music Ensemble Imani Winds". NPR. 2006-05-23. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  13. "Forthcoming on The Bob Edwards Show — Bob Edwards Radio". Bobedwardsradio.com. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  14. Brook, Peter (Spring 2011). "Terra Incognita Imani Winds". The Flutist Quarterly. 36: 78.
  15. "Fred Ho". JazzTimes. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  16. Oterion, Frank J. (2010-09-01). "Imani Winds: Terra Incognita". NewMusicBox. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  17. "PSNY: Alvin Singleton - Through It All". www.eamdc.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  18. "Panel Discussion and Premieres". honor.carnegiehall.org. Carnegie Hall. March 8, 2009. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  19. "Imani Winds and Jason Moran: Minimally Inspired, Major Imprint". www.sfcv.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  20. "Imani Winds and Stefon Harris to perform jazz concert Sept. 30 | Penn State University". news.psu.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  21. "Five musicians test endurance and flexiblity with classic Rite of Spring". CultureMap Houston. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  22. "20171201-Imani Winds". Middlebury. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  23. "Imani Winds breaks the mold of the classical music ensemble in multiple ways". oregonlive. 2018-04-13. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  24. "The Imani Winds Bring Improvisation to Classical Chamber Music Performance". 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  25. "Imani Winds - Philadelphia Chamber Music Artists". Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  26. Greene, Teri. "A world premiere, commemorating history". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  27. "Imani Winds final week as Ensemble-in-Residence culminates with two public performances | Music Department". music.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  28. "Passion for Bach and Coltrane". Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth. 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  29. Harris, Dalanie (2021-01-25). ""We Cannot Continue This Way:" Imani Winds' BRUITS Calls for Change". I CARE IF YOU LISTEN. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  30. "Imani Winds Breathes Vitality to the Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks". www.chicagomaroon.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  31. Holmes, Anne (2019-05-30). "Hear it at the Library: The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Performs a New Work Inspired by Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" | From the Catbird Seat: Poetry & Literature at the Library of Congress". blogs.loc.gov. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  32. "Imani Winds: At the Cutting Edge | UChicago Arts | The University of Chicago". arts.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  33. Rucker, Patrick. "Review | Imani Winds quintet warms up a frigid evening". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  34. "Imani Winds | UChicago Arts | The University of Chicago". arts.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  35. Winslow, Jeff (2018-08-07). "Chamber Music Northwest review: middle-age crazy". Oregon ArtsWatch. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  36. Dobrin, Peter. "Winsome Imani Winds gives world premiere of Four Sketches by Penn professor James Primosch". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  37. "Imani Winds Catalyst Quartet | Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State". cpa.psu.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  38. "Ledah Finck". New Music USA. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  39. "Imani Winds with a new commissioned work by Nathalie Joachim". www.phillipscollection.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  40. "Richard Wernick | Quintet For Winds (2006)". www.tfront.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  41. "Theodore Front Musical Literature - Shout Chorus : For Woodwind Quintet (2006)". www.tfront.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  42. "Imani Winds | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  43. The Continents: Concerto for Jazz Quintet & Chamber Orchestra - Chick Corea | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-04-28
  44. "FAIROUZ, M.: Native Informant / Tahwidah / Chorale Fantasy / Posh / For Victims / Jebel Lebnan (Hughes, Kravitz, Barton Pine, Krakauer, Thompson) - 8.559744". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  45. "Sorrows & Triumphs, by Edward Simon". Edward Simon. Retrieved 2021-04-28.

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