Quintet Sensation Imani Winds to Perform at CWU Oct. 11

September 29, 2009

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Imani Winds, a New York-based quintet, pushes the limit creatively and culturally, always seeking out the latest challenge by collaborating with new artists, stepping into unknown musical territories and taking on innovative projects never before accomplished by a wind quintet.

With flair unique to them, the ensemble often surprises the unsuspecting audience with performances that span the globe and genres. On any given night, Imani Winds (which means faith in Swahili) may perform African and Afro-Cuban, Middle Eastern, American, Asian or Latin pieces. On other nights, it’s classical, jazz or their own unique take on chamber music pieces. That eclectic repertoire is what garnered their album, “The Classical Underground” a Grammy nomination in 2005 for the Best Classical Crossover Album.

On Oct. 11, the ensemble will perform at Central Washington University as part of the 2009-2010 Performing Arts and Presidential Speaker Series. Tickets are $25 for reserved seating, $15 for general admission and free for CWU students with CWU ID. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Music Building Concert Hall.

Founded in 1997 by flutist Valerie Coleman, the quintet was different from the very beginning — something Coleman intended.

"I wasn't thinking of just any wind quintet," Coleman told the Wall Street Journal in May, "but of a group of virtuoso musicians of color who would join together to change the conventional view that classical music is somehow 'exclusive' and too stuffy to be accessible. And 12 years later, we are still together."

The ensemble’s multicultural foundation is one of the many reasons why CWU invited Imani Winds to campus. This year’s theme, Bridges and Beacons, aims to bring other cultures to the Ellensburg community. The quintet’s members — Coleman, oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz, clarinetist Mariam Adam, French hornist Jeff Scott and bassoonist Monica Ellis — have diverse backgrounds and educations. Their varied exposures to styles, along with their dedication to constantly learning new things, has resulted in a big undertaking, known as the Legacy Commissioning Project.

"A chief misconception about wind quintets is that they play a handful of pieces all the time,” Adam told the Wall Street Journal.

To help eliminate the quintet stereotype, Imani Winds began the four-year project in 2007. It will commission work from composers of color who will draw upon their own unique backgrounds to create pieces that infuse many sounds, including Middle Eastern, African, Afro-Cuban and Asian.

To learn more about the quintet, go to www.imaniwinds.com. To purchase tickets, go to www.cwu.edu/~wildcattickets and click on the Performing Arts and Presidential Speaker Series link. Tickets are also available by calling 509-963-1301.

Media Contact: Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations & Marketing, 509-963-1416, olint@cwu.edu

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of placebound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.