Imani Winds & Catalyst Quartet – (im)migration: music of change
$29-$75
Florence Price — Five Folksongs in Counterpoint
Jessie Montgomery — Sergeant McCauley (Boston premiere)
Roberto Sierra — Concierto de Cámara
Two of today’s premier ensembles join forces in a rare collaboration between string quartet and wind quintet. This spectacular evening of music will include the Boston premiere of a new work by Jessie Montgomery, co-commissioned by Celebrity Series of Boston. Written specifically for these two internationally acclaimed groups, Montgomery's suite follows the travels of her great-grandfather, Buffalo Soldier Sergeant McCauley, highlighting Montgomery’s deeply personal combination of classical music training and vernacular approach to storytelling.
The program as a whole will be a diverse musical exploration of the concept of migration, with brilliantly re-invigorated works including Mongo Santamaría's ever-popular jazz standard Afro Blue, arranged for wind quintet by Valerie Coleman; Florence Price’s lush and intricate Negro Folksongs in Counterpoint, written for string quartet; and modern great Roberto Sierra's enduring and technically demanding Concierto de Cámara, written specifically for tonight’s uncommon instrumentation. From the atypical but excellent musical selections, to the presence of two world-class ensembles – both of them highly in-demand concert headliners on their own merits – to the brilliant acoustics and intimacy of the First Church in Cambridge, this chamber music event offers a lot of reasons for excitement.
Attending online: This is a Celebrity Series at Home digital concert. Streaming live from First Church in Cambridge on Saturday, March 5 at 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific and available for on demand viewing until Friday, March 11 at 7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific.
Attending in person: In order to keep everyone safe as we welcome you back to performances, we are asking our patrons to provide proof of vaccination and to wear a mask to our performances. Learn more at celebrityseries.org/safety.
Seating for this performance is limited. This performance is not eligible for group discounts.
Accesibility Information: First Church does not have an elevator, and all seats in the Balcony will require climbing stairs. Wheelchair accessible seats are located on the floor level. Due to limited availability please contact the box office for current accessible seating options by calling (617) 482-6661 (M-F 10am Eastern-4pm Eastern) or emailing boxoffice@celebrityseries.org.
About Imani Winds
Celebrating over a quarter century of music making, the twice Grammy-nominated Imani Winds has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
The ensemble's playlist embraces traditional chamber music repertoire and newly commissioned works from voices that reflect historical events and the times in which we currently live.
http://www.imaniwinds.com/About Catalyst Quartet
Hailed by The New York Times at its Carnegie Hall debut as "invariably energetic and finely burnished… playing with earthy vigor," the Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet was founded by the internationally acclaimed Sphinx Organization in 2010. The ensemble (Karla Donehew Perez, violin; Abi Fayette, violin; Paul Laraia, viola; and Karlos Rodriguez, cello) believes in the unity that can be achieved through music and imagine their programs and projects with this in mind, redefining and reimagining the classical music experience.
The Catalyst Quartet, known for "perfect ensemble unity" and "unequaled class of execution" (Lincoln Journal Star), has toured widely throughout the United States and abroad, including sold-out performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., at Chicago's Harris Theater, Miami's New World Center, and Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York. The quartet has been guest soloists with the Cincinnati Symphony, New Haven Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá, and has served as principal players and featured ensemble with the Sphinx Organization's featured ensemble, the Sphinx Virtuosi, on six national tours. They have been invited to perform at important music festivals such as Mainly Mozart in San Diego, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Sitka Music Festival, Juneau Jazz and Classics, Strings Music Festival, and the Grand Canyon Music Festival, where they appear annually. The Catalyst Quartet was ensemble-in-residence at the Vail Dance Festival in 2016 and in the 2021-22 season were in residence with San Francisco Performances where they presented the complete series of works from their Uncovered Project. In 2022, the Catalyst Quartet was named ensemble in residence for the Chamber Music Northwest Festival in Portland and for the Met Museum's LiveArts series in NYC.
The Catalyst Quartet members hold degrees from The Cleveland Institute of Music, Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard School, and New England Conservatory.
http://www.catalystquartet.com/