The Hope College Great Performance Series will feature the 2006 Grammy-nominated wind ensemble Imani Winds on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
Called "nothing less than the future of the once-quaint notion of the wind quintet" by "The Washington Post," the ensemble nabbed its first Grammy nomination in the field of Best Classical Crossover Album.
Performing together for nearly 10 years, the ensemble has already won several major chamber awards, and its members were named Resident Artists for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
The group, whose name means "faith" in Swahili, explores the links between European, African and American traditions. Known for engaging their audience in concert, the members of the quintet have also recorded three compact discs, including "The Classical Underground," which received the Grammy nomination.
Their latest recording, titled simply "The Imani Winds," has just been released and features works by Astor Piazzolla, Maurice Ravel and Mario Lavista.
"First-rate playing... important were the energy and the sense that every piece was music that had meaning, for the players and the audience," said "The New York Times" in a review.
The "Philadelphia Daily News" has said, "go hear this exciting group of performers who create a unique sound world and offer a startlingly original musical flavor."
The ensemble's Hope College appearance will feature diverse works by Maurice Ravel, John Cage, Mongo Santamaria , Heitor Villa-Lobos and Jeff Scott, who is a member of the quintet.
The presentation is supported by the Heartland Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from General Mills Foundation, Land O'Lakes Foundation, Sprint Corporation, and Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.
Tickets for the Great Performance Series are $15 for regular admission, $12 for senior citizens, and $5 for children 18 and under, and are available at the ticket office in the front lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse. The ticket office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.
Additional information about the group may be obtained by visiting www.hope.edu/gps or www.imaniwinds.com.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located facing Fairbanks Avenue between 9th and 11th streets, and Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located on College Avenue at 12th Street.