Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present the Madera Wind Quintet, one of the state's premier woodwind ensembles, in concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
The performance is part of the quintet's 2015 Southwest Tour and will feature the music of Texas composer Don Gillis from the ensemble's upcoming CD release "Five Piece Combo," along with new works for wind quintet from the group's earlier album, "Five at Play."
Throughout February, the quintet, which includes SFA School of Music alumnus Jason Paschall, will give concerts and master classes in Tyler, Denton, Nacogdoches, Kingsville and Corpus Christi before heading to San Antonio to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention.
"I am thrilled at the thought of our upcoming tour," Paschall said. "Our love for outreach, for each other and for the music itself will make every performance engaging and inspiring.
"My journey of self discovery began at SFA, and it is with a lot of excitement that I'm visiting again," he said. "The artistry and musicianship possessed and shared by the faculty at SFA is a large part of what has fueled my passion for a career in performance. I think what I'm most excited about is meeting and sharing with the next generation of young music majors. It will also be a thrill to be back on stage in Cole Concert Hall to share a really fun program that features works from our upcoming album 'Five Piece Combo!'"
In 2008, five musicians with a shared love for chamber music came together in Denton to form the Madera Wind Quintet. Performing for diverse audiences across the United States, the group has quickly become known as one of today's most exciting wind quintets, according to Fred J. Allen, director of bands at SFA.
Exploring the fringes of the quintet repertoire - new music, forgotten gems, original arrangements and music for children - Madera also engages audiences with the classic repertoire and beauty of the wind quintet sonority.
The musicians of the Madera Wind Quintet are Paschall, oboe; Amy Thiemann, flute; Rachel Yoder, clarinet; Jorge Cruz Jr., bassoon; and Angela Winter, horn.
Madera premiered the International Joint Wind Quintet Commissioning Project's winning composition at the 2012 International Double Reed Society and International Horn Society conferences. Educational outreach is also important to Madera, whose work includes workshops and clinics for students of all ages.
The concert, which is sponsored by the SFA band program, will also include classics from the wind quintet repertoire, as well as some original arrangements.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.