2025 Creative Projects

By Rosa Burke

Date: Tuesday, August 12th @ 1pm

Location: Off The Grid Youth (Private event)

Performers: Amir Kadamani-González, violin | Claire Hebeisen, violin | Lana Auerbach, violin | Nicholas Lindell, viola | Alexander Wu, cello | Rosa Burke, piano

Repertoire:

• Piazzolla Libertango, arr. Piano Quintet

• Selections from Woodworks (arr. Danish String Quartet)

  • Sonderhall Bridal Trilogy Part II

  • Five Sheep Four Goats

  -Pause -

• Florence Price Piano Quintet in A Minor

  I. Allegro non troppo

  II. Andante con moto

  III. Juba, Allegro

  IV. Scherzo. Allegro - Coda

Project Description:

TBD

By Lana Auerbach

Date: Tuesday, August 12th @ 5pm

Location: Ground Press Coffee and Books

Performers: Lana Auerbach, violin | Amir Kadamani González, violin | Nicholas Lindell, viola | Alexander Wu, cello

Repertoire:

• Danish String Quartet “Woodworks” + children’s books
  (total length: 50-60 min) 

Project Description:

This project proposes a unique and enriching storytelling hour for children at Ground Press Coffee and Books. It will combine the art of narration with the musical performance of the Danish String Quartet's "Wood Works" tunes. This project aims to create an immersive and inspiring experience for young audiences, fostering a love for both literature and live instrumental music in an environment free from technological distractions. By carefully pairing engaging children's stories with the melodies of "Wood Works," I intend to spark imagination, encourage a deeper appreciation for the arts, and provide a memorable and joyful experience for the children and their families. This storytelling hour is designed for children. The chosen books written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen will be appropriate for this developmental stage, featuring engaging narratives and relatable characters. I anticipate that parents, guardians, and other family members will also attend, creating a multi-generational audience and fostering a shared appreciation for the arts. To ensure the narrator can be heard clearly, especially if the music is played simultaneously, a microphone and potentially a small, unobtrusive sound system will be required, as well as four stands and chairs for the quartet.

By Nicholas Lindell

Date: Wednesday, August 13th @ 1pm

Location: Boys and Girls Club Airdrie

Performers: Lana Auerbach, violin | Amir Kadamani González, violin | Nicholas Lindell, viola | Alexander Wu, cello

Repertoire:

• Selections from Antonin Dvorak, String Quartet No. 14 “American”

• Traditional spiritual “Amazing Grace”

• Celtic and bluegrass fiddle tunes

• Jazz classics “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “Sonnymoon for Two”
  

Project Description:

Classical string quartets, saxophone-heavy jazzy grooves, Celtic and American folk fiddling, and even African spiritual singing traditions all use the pentatonic scale and modifications of it. “Five Fingers, Five Notes” surveys these genres from across the globe and finds a common musical language in their use of the same, ubiquitous, five-note pattern.

By Amir Kadamani González

Date: Wednesday, August 13th @ 7pm

Location: Airdrie Public Library

Performers: Amir Kadamani González, violin | Claire Hebeisen, violin | Nicholas Lindell, viola | Alexander Wu, cello | Rosa Burke, piano

Repertoire: 

• Arvo Pärt- Spiegel im Spiegel

• Johannes Brahms - Violin and Piano Sonata No. 1 in G Major

• Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No. 8 in C minor

Project Description:

This powerful program explores music’s unique power to heal our inner ailments while prompting us to confront our consciences. It is a poetic journey of solace and deep reflection, steering us away from complacency and inaction.

By Alexander Wu

Date: Thursday, August 14th @ 6:30pm

Location: Cedarwood Station

Performers: Amir Kadamani González, violin | Lana Auerbach, violin | Claire Hebeisen, violin | Maitreyi Muralidharan, violin | Nicholas Lindell, viola | Alexander Wu, cello | Rosa Burke, piano | Tong Wang, piano

Repertoire:

• Excerpts from Mozart Piano Quartet in G minor and Schumann Piano Quintet

• Elgar Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84 (approx. 37 min)

  Intermission

• Florence Price Piano Quintet in A minor (approx. 27 min)

Project Description:

The mid-19th century saw many innovations to chamber music, which by then was a well-recognized medium of musical expression and composition. Of these new developments, one that had a lasting impact was the establishment of the piano quintet as a standardized ensemble for chamber music. While composers had previously experimented with writing chamber music for piano and string quartet, it wasn’t until Robert Schumann composed his Op. 44 piano quintet did the chamber instrumentation receive widespread appreciation and intrigue from concertgoers. In Expressions for the Piano Quintet, the artists of the Windwood Music Festival will explore the rich history, impact, and repertory of this innovative chamber music instrumentation.

The musical offerings of this program feature example excerpts from several works in the classical chamber repertoire. It continues with Sir Edward Elgar’s Piano Quintet in A minor. A hidden gem of the quintet repertoire, the piece showcases Elgar’s signature blending of English romanticism and folk melodies. Florence Price’s piano quintet will conclude the evening’s program. While her music was largely overlooked during her career due to her gender and racial background, this incredible piece has a well-deserved place among the piano quintet collection.

This program is intended for an audience of all ages and backgrounds. The music, repertoire, and theme of the program is designed to be a celebration of bringing together various artists from all over the world in the effort to create art as a team and sharing it with the Airdrie community.