Grammy-winning wind quintet Imani Winds stopped by the LSU School of Music for a performance on Tuesday night, Oct. 1.
2024 marks 28 years of touring and performing for Imani Winds. Founding member and bassoonist, Monica Ellis, started off the night by speaking on stage about how the group continues to search for innovative musical approaches despite many years in the game.
She thanked the School of Music for arranging the recital and dedicated the performance to the victims of Hurricane Helene.
“We had a show scheduled in Augusta, Georgia that was canceled due to the tragic hurricane,” Ellis said. “We dedicate tonight’s performance to them and hope to be with them again in the not-so-far future.”
The quintet has three Grammy nominations and one win. At the 66th Grammy Awards in February 2024, the group’s album “Passion for Bach and Coltrane” won the award for Best Classical Compendium.
The eclectic arrangement picked for the show premiered back in 2010 and hasn’t lost one bit of its flare. Imani Winds kicked things off with “A Haitian Tale,” an upbeat woodwind piece by 20th-century female composer, Lina Blanchet. From there, they transitioned into a Jean Franciax sonnet with more dramatic undertones.
A standout piece in particular was “La Nouvelle Orleans,” which was composed by Lala Schifrin in reference to the city of New Orleans and its vibrant culture. Brandon Patrick George, a flutist who began playing with Imani Winds in 2018, introduced “La Nouvelle Orleans” and described it as an ode to the traditions surrounding death and funerals in the city.
“It begins as a somber funeral march, and then veers into a joyous second line,” George said.
From there, Imani Winds performed pieces from “Suite: Portraits of Josephine Baker,” composed by Valerie Coleman and closed their performance with “The Rite of Spring,” composed by 19th-century Russian conductor, Igor Stravinsky.
Lydia Nelson, an LSU senior studying music education, attended the recital and spoke of the importance of events such as this one.
“Events like these get you out of your bubble and gives you a perspective of the paths that you can take as an artist,” Nelson said. “It’s refreshing to have such next-level performers coming here to play for us.”
The LSU School of Music’s program offerings feature a wide range of appearances from department ensembles to guest performers.
The events are typically free to attend.
Joshua Jones, an LSU junior majoring in marketing, recently transferred from another university and said programs such as this have been deeply impactful to him as he adjusts to student life here.
“LSU has so much to offer, and there’s so much talent and passion within the School of Music worth paying attention to,” Jones said. “I hope that we can continue to showcase it in this way.”
To see the full lineup of events by The College of Music and Dramatic Arts, check out their website.
