On Tuesday night, the Imani Winds, a group regarded as one of the most successful wind quintets of our time, will perform at the Jorgensen Center. Established in 1997, they have been the Curtis Institute’s Faculty Wind Quintet since 2021. The group — whose name, “Imani,” is the Swahili word for “faith” — plays music inspired by many sources, namely the worlds of jazz and classical music. Imani Winds won a Grammy just last night for their work in the album “Passion for Bach and Coltrane,” a mix of baroque and jazz music. On the album, the Imani Winds plays with a string quartet, jazz pianist, drummer and double bass player, accompanied by the words of A. B. Spellman. This Tuesday evening, they will be playing works written for them through their Legacy Commissioning Project by Carlos Simon, Wayne Shorter, Andy Akiho and others.
The wind quintet is not the most well-known music ensemble, which is a shame. Its flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon composition is an unusual mix of instruments providing unique tones and quality contracts. In the classical tradition, composers such as Beethoven or Mozart never wrote for the ensemble, perhaps because more homogenous blends of sounds were in vogue. Fortunately for us, the modern scene of wind quintet music is less reliant on just one tradition of music than other chamber ensembles. This fits well with Imani Winds, which was made to bring different people together. The group focuses on numerous themes of diversity embodied by the various backgrounds of musicians in the group. The Imani Winds show that this group of instruments and performers is the perfect ground for eclectic mixes of styles to be heard together.
The first piece of the concert is Carlos Simon’s “Giants.” Carlos Simon is a multi-talented composer from Atlanta, Georgia. His works include film scores and concert music written for various chamber ensembles, orchestras, band, choirs and more. His music also ranges in style, with his stated musical influences being jazz, gospel and neo-romanticism. “Giants” was written for the Imani Winds and is dedicated to five people who have profoundly influenced Simon. Each inspiration is honored with a full movement. In order, they are: Bessie Smith, Maya Angelou, Ronald E. McNair, Cornel West and Herbie Hancock.
After that, the Imani Winds will play Wayne Shorter’s “Terra Incognita.” Wayne Shorter was a giant in the jazz world, winning 12 Grammys, five honorary doctorate degrees and many, many other awards throughout his life. His musical experience ranges from working with Miles Davis to being a founding member of the band Weather Report and touring with Carlos Santana. “Terra Incognita,” Latin for “unknown land,” was another work written for and premiered by the Imani Winds. The piece was inspired by Shorter’s philosophical ponderings on how to approach the unknown and unexpected. As such, the music wanders between themes and characters throughout.
Among other works they will play on Tuesday is Andy Akiho’s “BeLoud, BeLoved, BeLonging.” Akiho is a composer with five Grammy nominations, three of which are for this year’s awards. Aside from Grammys, Akiho has won awards from the Yale School of Music, was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize and has many other accomplishments. Commissioned by the Imani Winds, “BeLoud, BeLoved, BeLonging” is a piece based on protests over the detainment of immigrants in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center in 2019. Akiho used the ensemble to pay tribute to the protests and unite people through music.
If any of this sounds enticing to you, come down to the Jorgensen Center for 7:30 p.m. tomorrow to hear this eclectic mix of music for yourself. Thanks to the Lenard Chamber Series Endowment Fund, all students can go to this concert free of charge. Don’t miss out!