Last week the Music and Mavens Concert and Lecture Series at The Rady JCC launched their 27th season of outstanding programming.
Coming up this Tuesday, January 14th at 2pm at the Rady JCC’s Bernie Theatre, the Music and Maven’s concert and lecture series will take a deep dive into the wonderful world of woodwinds, and the overachieving minds of woodwind doublers. Those who are masters at more than one of the members of the woodwind family.
For this upcoming concert audiences will be treated to no less than 12 different woodwinds. Everything from saxophone, to bassoon, to clarinet to flute. As a Quartet of Quartets performs music ranging from classical, to jazz, to Latin American music.
Led by legendary Winnipeg Doubler Julie Husband, this concert will highlight the vast possibilities of the woodwind family while entertaining and informing audiences.
Husband is a veteran on the Winnipeg music scene. She has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, Ron Paley Big Band, Winnipeg’s Saxology and has played for more than 40 years as a pit musician for Rainbow Stage. She has also taught generations of music students in Winnipeg, who have had successful careers as performers. Throughout her career one thing has remained constant, her love of instruments from the woodwind family.
The Quartet of Quartets will be performing not only on the standard woodwind instruments, such as saxophone, clarinet, bassoon, and flute, but the group will also be playing some instruments that audiences do not regularly get to see performed live in a chamber music setting, such as bass flute, alto flute, and baritone saxophone.
The Quartet features some of the finest woodwind doublers in the city. Originally the group started out as a saxophone quartet, as Husband explains, “It started out as a sax quartet. I love saxophone quartet music. And then I went ‘geez people here can play multiple instruments why don’t we call it Quartet of Quartets, and do flute quartets, and saxophone quartets, and some double reed stuff as well.”
The group consists of Lauren Teterenko, Niall Cade, Neil Watson, and Julie Husband. One of the things that Husband wanted to do was present a concert that audiences would have fun listening to and relate to. “My whole thing and the other members of the group as well...our mindset is music doesn’t always have to be serious. It can be fun, you can play fun pieces, and show people that music is fun in any genre.”
Audience on Tuesday can expect to hear selections from Handel’s Water Music, The Flower Duet from Delibes’ Lakme, Khachaturian's Sabre Dance, as well as music of Paquito D’Rivera, his Wapango, as well as some jazz selections that will highlight the virtuosity and the flexibility of the ensemble.
This will be an enjoyable concert, full of interesting sound colors and textures, that are created with the different combinations of instruments. But when it comes down to it, fun, and enjoyment is the goal. “I hope people walk away saying ‘Wow! That was fun. And what a wonderful way to be entertained by so many different instruments,” says Husband.
The Quartet of Quartet concert as presented by the Music ‘N’ Mavens Concert and lecture series happens this Tuesday, January 14th at 2pm at the Rady JCC’s Bernie Theatre.
