Fred Fox Graduate Wind Quintet
Gabriella Beltran, oboeCassandra Grace Gunn, fluteCristian Barazal, clarinetCaitlynn Sandberg, hornMatthew Dutczak, bassoon
April 26, Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
Holsclaw Hall, $Free
Livestream: https://youtu.be/DX-GhH9zh5c
Program: https://wpu.cfa.arizona.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/04/25122502/ProgramFFGWQApril2022.pdf
Program Notes: https://wpu.cfa.arizona.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/04/25122540/FFGWQ-Spring-2022-Program-Notes.pdf
The Fred Fox Graduate Wind Quintet is a premiere student performing ensemble at The University of Arizona. Its members have come to the Fred Fox School of Music from some of the world’s leading music schools to perform and compete internationally. These students engage in graduate studies with the faculty of the Arizona Wind Quintet and are encouraged to embark upon competitions, auditions, and record professionally during their tenure at UA.
The ensemble has performed in China, Mexico, and throughout the southwest. The ensemble’s accolades include prizes in the MTNA, Coleman, and Plowman chamber music competitions. Its members have won solo competitions at all levels and several alumni hold positions in orchestras and professional service bands.
Program Notes:
Quintette – Hedwige Chrétien
Hedwige Gennaro-Chrétien (1859-1944) was a French composer born in Compiènge, a commune in Northern France. She entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1874 where she studied composition with Ernest Guiraud. She would later be appointed as a professor at the same institution in 1889. She composed over 150 works of both vocal and instrumental music, including a number of ballets and operas. She achieved multiple awards for her artistry in composition, yet her works were hardly performed during her lifetime. Quintette pour flûte, hautbois, clarinette cor et bassoon was written in 1887. The piece consists of two movements that contrast each other in character. The first movement, Andante, is fixated on the G minor opening melody of the oboe. Throughout the piece, this elegant melody is expanded by the ensemble and ultimately reconstructed in the key of G major. The second movement, Allegro con moto, presents fast-paced flourishes accompanied by a buoyant staccato foundation in the key of B-flat major.
Juegos Nocturnos – Federico Ibarra Groth
Juegos Nocturnos (Night Games) for Woodwind Quintet was commissioned by the Mexico City Woodwind Quintet and composed in 1995 by internationally acclaimed Mexican composer, Federico Ibarra Groth.
The first movement, Allegro Molto, is rhythmically active, and features several musically angular motifs passed throughout the five instruments. As the movement develops, Ibarra uses several musical devices, such as meter change, dissonance, and change in texture to develop these motifs. The middle section is comprised of a slow ostinato pattern from the flute, clarinet, horn, and bassoon, creating a dreamlike atmosphere underneath a lyrical oboe solo. The movement ends in a similar fashion to how it began, with a recurring angular motif passed between the instruments.
The second movement, Lento, provides stark contrast to the opening movement. Ibarra employs the use of beautiful melodies, which are passed between solo lines and combined in various tonal colors.
The energetic final movement, Allegro Con Fuoco, features dissonant harmony and angular musical patterns passed throughout the instrumentation. Ibarra uses many of the same melodic figures that were heard in the first movement, and similarly adds a slow, dreamy section in the middle that features a horn and oboe duet. As the piece comes to its conclusion, Ibarra takes the melody and displaces it by an eighth note within the instrumentation. The piece ends with the entire group playing a declamatory C natural in unison.
Scherzo – Eugène Bozza
Similar to many composers who studied at the Paris Conservatoire, Eugène Bozza was a highly regarded French composer of the 20th century. While at the Paris Conservatoire, Bozza won the Prix de Rome composition competition with his work La Légende de Roukmani. This recognition led him to conduct the Paris Opéra-Comique, and later an appointment as director of the École National de Musique. Known primarily for his chamber music, his Scherzo for Wind Quintet perfectly represents his idiomatic writing for wind instruments. The Scherzo is light hearted and quite brief, maintaining excitement by continuously passing each melodic gesture between the instruments of the ensemble.
Quintette pour Instruments á Vent – Paul Taffanel
Regarded as the father of the modern flute school, Paul Taffanel was a French flutist, pedagogue, composer, and conductor. His musical training began at a young age by his father and later, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire. During his time at the Paris Conservatoire, Taffanel garnered the position of Solo Flutist with the Conservatoire Orchestra as well as the Grand Opéra leading to his graduation in 1860. In 1893, he was appointed the professor of flute at the Paris Conservatoire and the conductor of the Paris Opera. In 1879, Taffanel founded the Société des Instruments à Vent, an organization with the goal of promoting wind instrument performance. The Société, with Taffanel at the lead, commissioned several works for wind instruments including standards such as Petite Symphonie by Charles Gounod and Divertissement, Op. 36 by Emile Bernard.
The Wind Quintet’s first movement is exciting, energetic, and full of twists and turns. Starting with a quiet and insistent introduction to the theme which quickly erupts into a whirl of activity, this movement shows high levels of virtuosity from all players as well as an intricate precision needed to maintain cohesion among the ensemble. The movement is in traditional sonata form encompassing the primary insistent theme, a sweet dance-like secondary theme, a long development, and a recapitulation with coda that fades into nothing.
The second movement features the horn who plays a song-like melody and gives a stark contrast to the high energy first movement. This movement shows the ensemble in a new lyrical light. The last movement of the Wind Quintet is technically challenging. There is a strong sense of urgency throughout which concludes with an unexpected playful ending.
About the Artists
Cassandra Gunn, flute is from Lansing, Michigan and completed her bachelor’s degree in music performance at Oakland University. Having begun her orchestral career in the Michigan State University Concert orchestra, Cassandra then served as the second flutist in the Oakland Symphony Orchestra from 2017-2019. Being a passionate teacher and performer, Cassandra enjoys teaching private lessons, and during her time at Oakland University she performed as a freelance musician in multiple chamber ensembles.
Gabriella Beltran comes from San Benito, Texas and has studied the art of oboe since 11 years of age. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in oboe performance from Texas A&M University-Kingsville under the direction of Dr. Ann Fronckowiak. Before graduating high school, she had the opportunity to perform twice at the Texas Music Educators Association convention with the All-State ensembles and once more during her undergraduate degree as principal oboist with the TAMUK Wind Symphony. Gabriella plans to receive her master’s degree from the Fred Fox School of Music and find her place in the music world of performing and teaching wherever it may take her.
Cristian Barazal, clarinet is from Miami, Florida. He graduated from New World School of the Arts, in Miami, in 2016, where he studied under Dr. Christopher Graham. During his time at New World, he participated in FMEA All-State ensembles in all four years and had the opportunity to serve as principal clarinetist of the FMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra twice. He also had the opportunity to attend Eastern Music Festival in 2015. After graduating in 2016, Cristian went on to pursue his bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Jeff Anderle and Jerome Simas. Cristian is now pursuing his master’s degree in clarinet performance at the University of Arizona, studying under Dr. Jackie Glazier.
Caitlynn Sandberg is currently a horn performance major and graduate assistant to Johanna Lundy at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2023 and plans to continue her schooling in Europe. A Los Angeles native, she completed her bachelor’s degree studying with Dr. David Hoover and then Dr. Annie Bosler at California State University Northridge in 2021 where she played as principal horn in the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, British Brass Band and Horn Ensemble. While in Los Angeles she was a consistent freelancer and private teacher and one of the founders of 5th Floor Brass Quintet. Building her private studio for the past couple of years she has also coached horn and other brass at the middle and high school level. Stepping into the jazz scene, she has also performed in jazz recitals and performed the entirety of Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool album with The New Nine in Long Beach. She has also performed with the Los Angeles Classic Rock Orchestra, The Tribe Band and Orchestra, PSYCO and is currently recording with the LA All Star Brass Band. Outside of horn, she loves to travel and enjoys spending time with her dog Dakota.
Matthew Dutczak is a bassoonist and conductor holding degrees from UW-Milwaukee and University of Illinois. He has studied conducting with Dr. John Climer (UWM), and Dr. José O. Riojas and Javier Mendoza (UIC). His bassoon teachers include John Gaudette (UIC) and Beth Giocobassi (UWM). Matthew actively performed in chamber ensembles, bands, and orchestras at UIC and held the position of UIC Pep Band Game Management Apprentice in which he assisted the organization and performance of the UIC Pep Band. He was also a member of the UIC Band Staff for four years and was Logistics Manager for one year. At UWM, Matthew served as Band Office Manager where he worked closely with Dr. John Climer and the UWM Wind Ensemble as well as Professor Margery Deutsch and the University Community Orchestra.
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