Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet

The Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet presents works by living American composers Jennifer Higdon, Katherine Ann Murdock, and David Sampson. Each work was written in the mid 90?s, roughly in the time frame that our current students were born. Jennifer Higdon's Autumn Music has already become a standard in the quintet repertoire and is an effective homage to Samuel Barber's Summer Music. Higdon writes, "Autumn comes to us in many guises: incredible explosions of color; air that suddenly snaps with crispness and clarity; a tinge of melancholy on the eve of change in all of our lives. This piece is a musical portrait of the essence and images of Autumn." Originally from the Bay Area of Northern California, composer Katherine Ann Murdock embraced the landscape and culture of her adopted state of Kansas. She celebrated that connection by composting Postards from the Center. Each movement takes its name and inspiration from Kansas postcards, such as Howdy! From Kansas: Punching Cattle on a Jackrabbit and Fireworks Over Kansas/Kansas Tornado. The program ends with Shorts Stories by David Sampson. He writes, ?Each movement has an evocative title which hints at the story being told or at the storytellers themselves. Wildly divergent, Short Stories moves from mysterious to boisterous, from playful to painful, and climaxes with a vibrant, joyous dance.? The quintet is joined by Visiting Professor Mara Plotkin on clarinet. About Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet: The Pacific Arts Woodwind Quintet is a faculty chamber ensemble made up of Mathew Krejci, flute, Thomas Nugent, oboe, Dr. Patricia Shands, clarinet, Jennie Blomster, French horn, and Nicolasa Kuster, bassoon. The Quintet performs chamber music of a variety of eras and styles with a focus on contemporary music. They perform on campus and around the region, including touring and clinicing at high schools. Their travels include multiple trips to Panama.