Jenni Brandon’s Wildflower Quintet is performed by The Kalliope Reed Quintet at the IDRS Online Symposium on July 26, 2021 at 2:00 – 3:00 PM MDT. The dynamic program of the IDRS Online Symposium features Kalliope Reed Quintet commissions of living composers popular within the double reed community. This program of Reed Quintets of the Americas includes selections from Jenni Brandon’s Wildflower Quintet, Daniel Cueto’s Amaru, Zach Gulaboff Davis’s Divergences, Becky Turro’s Thaw, Ian Wiese’s Suite for Reed Quintet, and the world premiere of accomplished Canadian composer/bassoonist Mathieu Lussier’s Laurentian Bolero, along with a preview of a new work by Daniel Cueto!
The program is:
Anna Bradford, oboe/english horn
Celine Ferro, clarinet
Bennett Parsons, saxophone
Wolcott Humphrey, bass clarinet
Natalie Zemba, bassoon
World premiere
of
Laurentian Bolero, by Mathieu Lussier (b. 1973)
Thaw, by Becky Turro (b. 1997)
I. Hyperborea
III. Kaleidoscope Cove
Suite for Reed Quintet, by Ian Wiese (b. 1994)
I. Sonatina
Divergences, by Zach Gulaboff Davis (b. 1991)
II. Jest
III. Frolic
Wildflower Quintet, by Jenni Brandon (b. 1977)
I. Wildflowers
II. Wild Rose and the Butterfly
Danzón No. 5, by Arturo Márquez (b. 1950),
arranged for reed quintet by Natalie Zemba
Amaru, by Daniel Cueto (b. 1986)
Preview of Cinco Momentos Peruanos by Daniel Cueto (b. 1986)
The five movements of Jenni Brandon’s The Wildflower Quintet for Reed Quintet (Oboe/English horn, Clarinet, Soprano/Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon) are based on the imagery from several poems by Bette Woolsey Castro, a friend of Lady Bird Johnson who founded the Wildflower Center in Texas. This work, as The Wildflower Trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano, was commissioned by the College of Fine Arts of the University of Texas at Austin to honor the life and environmental work of Lady Bird Johnson.
In this newly re-imagined version for Reed Quintet that was commissioned, coordinated by Natalie Zemba, recorded, and premiered by the Kalliope Quintet. The colors of the quintet add additional voices to the many wildflowers in Texas and across the United States. These instruments help to paint a broad picture of colors, shapes, and majesty of the flowers, and continue to honor the legacy and work of Mrs. Johnson.
I. Wildflowers
II. Wild Rose and Butterfly
III. The Hummingbird
IV. Indian Paintbrush
V. Summer Garden
Watch Jenni’s interview with Natalie Zemba, Artistic Director and Bassoonist of Kalliope Reed Quintet on Jenni’s Vlog “Work in Progress” where they talk about their collaboration on The Wildflower Quintet.
