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(MONTREAL)—In the week following Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Downwind Quintet, comprising McGill University graduate and undergraduate students, presents “Petr’s Moon,” a powerful recital in memory of the composers, artists, and children who perished in the Holocaust. The quintet performs on April 25, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. in Tanna Schulich Hall, in a dynamic and thought-provoking concert that incorporates narration, poetry, and film projection. Admission is free.
The recital features music by composers Pavel Haas and Erwin Schulhoff, both of whom were killed in the concentration camps of World War II. Haas’ Wind Quintet, Op. 10, is a Modernist masterpiece, deeply influenced by the folk music of his Jewish ancestry. Throughout the performance, members of the quintet will recite from the diary of Petr Ginz, a 14-year-old boy who continued to write stories and draw imaginative landscapes even while living in the darkest circumstances.
Closing the program is the world-premiere performance of Mexican composer Cristóbal MarYan’s Terezín. Commissioned by the Downwind Quintet, Terezín draws its inspiration from the music of Pavel Haas, and from the haunting poems composed by young children sent to die in Theresienstadt ghetto. This Mexican-Canadian collaboration is made possible by a grant through the Schulich School of Music.
“We wanted to use this music not only to commemorate the composers whose lives and work were cut off too soon, but also as a tool to tell a story—Petr’s story,” said Downwind Quintet oboist Carly Gordon. “We hope that the audience will feel connected to Petr, and to children today who continue to suffer around the world, beyond walls and borders.”
About the Downwind Quintet:
The Downwind Quintet has brought its high-energy performance style to the Montreal community since its inception only two years ago. Coached by Jean Gaudreault of l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and by noted contemporary music conductor Guillaume Bourgogne, the quintet was honoured as “The Next Generation of Chamber Musicians” in a special recital at Musée McCord, and was selected to perform in a master class with Juno Award–winning clarinetist James Campbell. The Downwind Quintet is especially dedicated to performing and promoting contemporary works for wind quintet, with a core repertoire including music by Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, and Igor Stravinsky, and with two world-premiere performances in their 2016-17 season. With members hailing from Winnipeg, Toronto, South Florida, and as far away as New Zealand, the ensemble brings precision, intimacy, and creative flair to the wind quintet canon.
The Downwind Quintet has brought its high-energy performance style to the Montreal community since its inception only two years ago. Coached by Jean Gaudreault of l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and by noted contemporary music conductor Guillaume Bourgogne, the quintet was honoured as “The Next Generation of Chamber Musicians” in a special recital at Musée McCord, and was selected to perform in a master class with Juno Award–winning clarinetist James Campbell. The Downwind Quintet is especially dedicated to performing and promoting contemporary works for wind quintet, with a core repertoire including music by Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, and Igor Stravinsky, and with two world-premiere performances in their 2016-17 season. With members hailing from Winnipeg, Toronto, South Florida, and as far away as New Zealand, the ensemble brings precision, intimacy, and creative flair to the wind quintet canon.
Program Details
Petr’s Moon: A theatre-recital for wind quintet
The Downwind Quintet
Tuesday, April 25, at 8:00 p.m. EST
Tanna Schulich Hall
527 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3
Petr’s Moon: A theatre-recital for wind quintet
The Downwind Quintet
Tuesday, April 25, at 8:00 p.m. EST
Tanna Schulich Hall
527 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC H3A 1E3
TRADITIONAL
HAAS
SCHULHOFF
MORAWETZ
MARYÁN
HAAS
SCHULHOFF
MORAWETZ
MARYÁN
Admission is free; no ticket required.
FUNDING CREDITS
“Petr’s Moon” is supported by the Schulich School of Music International Grant Competition – Master’s Performance Award.
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@downwind5tet
For more information, please visit the Downwind Quintet website.
@downwind5tet
For more information, please visit the Downwind Quintet website.
