Bardo Arts Center Press Release – Rachel Hood, Bardo Arts Center Marketing Manager
828.227.2505 | rhood@wcu.edu
(oboe), Mark Dover (clarinet), Kevin Newton (French horn), and Monica Ellis (bassoon)
“Imani’s performance was brilliant – intense, dynamic, and wildly colorful.”
James McQuillen, Oregon Live
Experience the twice Grammy-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds on stage at WCU’s
Bardo Arts Center on Thursday, February 23, at 7:30 p.m.! The ensemble presents their show Black and
Brown, an entire program celebrating composers of color such as Wayne Shorter, Paquito D’Rivera, and
Valerie Coleman. The WCU School of Music and Bardo Arts Center sponsors this public
performance. Doors will open thirty minutes before the concert on Thursday, February 23. Guests may
purchase tickets by visiting arts.wcu.edu/tickets, by calling the Box Office at (828) 227–2479, or by
buying tickets on the day of the performance. The Box Office is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In addition to the performance at Bardo Arts Center, Imani Winds will be hosting a week-long residency
co-sponsored by Bardo Arts Center and the WCU School of Music. This residency will primarily focus on
exposing WCU students to various topics and giving students once-in-a-lifetime coaching sessions from
this elite group. While there will be classes designed explicitly for WCU students, there is an opportunity
for the general public to attend three free outstanding sessions hosted by Imani Winds.
The first presentation, titled Imani Winds: Telling Our Story, will be hosted on Monday, February 20, at
1:25 p.m. in the WCU Coulter Building Recital Hall. This presentation invites the WNC Community to Learn
more about Imani Winds’ 20+ year artistic and entrepreneurial journey to becoming role models as a
primarily African American wind quintet. The ensemble’s repertoire embraces traditional chamber
music. As a 21st-century group, Imani Winds is devoutly committed to expanding the wind quintet
repertoire by commissioning music from new voices that reflect historical events and the times in which
we currently live.
Additionally, on Monday, February 20, at 4 p.m. in the WCU Coulter Building Recital Hall, Imani Winds
will host Chamber Music 101 – Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect. This presentation by the quintet
members of this prestigious ensemble shows us how to work with other musicians in a chamber music
setting. The Imani Winds have expanded the wind quintet repertoire with their many exciting
collaborations and commissions and have entertained audiences worldwide for over a quarter of a
century. The Imani Winds serve as the faculty wind quintet at the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Imani
Winds Chamber Music Festival brings together young instrumentalists and composers from across North
America to New York City every summer. The WCU student wind quintet will join the Imani Wind on
stage for this presentation which is open to the public.
On Thursday, February 23, at 11 a.m., the third session will be held in WCU’s Coulter Building Recital
Hall. This presentation is titled Imani Winds: Race, Diversity, and Equity in Classical Music. The
groundbreaking, Grammy-Award-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds visits with students, faculty,
staff, and the community for a timely discussion on race, diversity, and equity in classical music and their
unique role in expanding opportunities for underrepresented performers and composers.
Visit arts.wcu.edu/imaniwinds to learn more about the live performance and WCU residency. To see
BAC’s full calendar of events, please visit arts.wcu.edu/explore or call (828)227-ARTS.
