Imani Winds, Wilson to Continue Presidential Concert Series
The Lee University Presidential Concert Series will continue with twice Grammy-nominated Imani Winds, accompanied by pianist Terrence Wilson, on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Pangle Hall.
Celebrating over 20 years of music making, Imani Winds has led an evolution of the wind quintet through its dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
“This is the perfect concert for local middle and high school students who play in marching or concert bands,” said Darlia Conn, director of the Presidential Concert Series. “They will be able to hear their own wind instruments played on the concert stage as professional musicians demonstrate the beauty and range of those very same instruments. It is a wonderful opportunity for all.”
Acclaimed by the New York Times as having a musical approach that has “excited the chamber music world,” the Imani Winds not only embraces traditional chamber music, but also focuses on newly commissioned works from voices that reflect historical events and the times in which we currently live.
The ensemble features artists Mark Dover, clarinet; Monica Ellis, bassoon; Brandon Patrick George, flute; Kevin Newton, French horn; and Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe. They have completed 26 seasons of full-time touring which has brought them to almost every major chamber music series, performing arts center, and summer festival in the United States. They also regularly perform in prominent venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Chamber Music Northwest, Chautauqua Institution, and Banff Centre.
Outside of touring, Imani Winds has created residencies that include performances, workshops, and masterclasses for thousands of students each year at institutions such as the University of Chicago, Eastman School of Music, and Duke University. The ensemble has also created the Imani Winds Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that exists to support, connect, and uplift their initiatives.
Wilson, who has been described by the Baltimore Sun as “one of the biggest pianistic talents to have emerged in this country in the last 25 years,” has appeared as a soloist with the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., San Fransisco, to name a few.
He has toured with orchestras both in the U.S. and abroad and has played concerti with such ensembles as the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland, the Malaysian Philharmonic, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Orquestra Sinfonica do Estado de Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Wilson has received numerous awards and prizes, including the SONY ES Award for Musical Excellence, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Juilliard Petschek Award. He was nominated for a Grammy for Best Instrumental Soloist with an Orchestra for his recording with the Nashville Symphony.
Tickets for the Presidential Concert are $15 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, and children. Tickets are available for purchase on eventbrite.com, at the Lee University Box Office in the Dixon Center, or by contacting (423) 614-8343, between 3-6 p.m., beginning Oct. 19.
Additional funding for this concert was generously provided by the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Designated parking will be available for the event.
For more information on the Presidential Concert Series, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/music/pcs/ or call the School of Music at (423) 614-8240.
