Valerie Coleman Has Been Making Her Mark As a Fine Flutist in Contemporary Music, the Flute Is Not Her Only, Or Even Her Primary, Medium of Expression
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December 2008 VALERI E COLEMAN: REVITALIZING THE WOODWIND QUINTET by Peter Westbrook Reprinted with permission from the spring 2008 issue of The Flutist Quarterly. lute performance, composing, Imani Winds, and the desire to bring great music to margin- Falized communities are among the passions that drive this determined musician. As her ensemble enters its second decade, the self-described “average flutist” is sowing rewards for her steady, hard work. Although Valerie Coleman has been making her mark as a fine flutist in contemporary music, the flute is not her only, or even her primary, medium of expression. For the past 10 years, Coleman’s hand has been at the helm of the award-winning woodwind quintet Imani Winds, which provides an outlet for her not only as flutist but also as composer, arranger, and visionary. In Concert The success of the group as it embarks on its second decade—thus far it has Imani Winds received a Grammy nomination, in 2006, Valerie Coleman, flute; Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; and two ASCAP/Chamber Music America Mariam Adam, clarinet; Jeff Scott, French horn; Monica Ellis, bassoon awards—is a testament to that vision. For as long as Coleman can remember, Sunday, December 14, 2008, 5:30 pm flute performance and composition have Yamaha Piano Salon, 689 Fifth Avenue vied equally for her attention. When I (entrance on 54th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues) asked her if she thought of herself as a flutist/composer or composer/flutist she Afro Blue Mongo Santamaria (1917-2003) could not make a choice; both are very arr. Valerie Coleman (cont’d on page 4) Danza de Mediodia Arturo Marquez (b. 1950) IN THIS ISSUE Kleine Kammermusik Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) Valerie Coleman: Revitalizing the Woodwind Quintet Selections from This Christmas: Imani Winds by Peter Westbrook........................................1 From the President: The Show Must Go On Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) by Nancy Toff...............................................2 arr. Jeff Scott Member Profile: Reva Youngstein....................3 The Christmas Song Mel Torme (1925-1999) arr. John Clark Questions for Valerie Coleman by Gretchen Pusch......................................6 Jingle Bells (traditional) Anouncements Flute Happenings..................................................3 Libertango Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) Holiday Refreshments............................................3 Obituary: arr. Jeff Scott Hilda Fenyo (1915-2008).....................................7 Young Artist Competition 2009 ............................7 2 — NYFC Newsletter The Show Must Go On by Nancy Toff lexibility is the essence of the freelance musician and of the volunteer enterprise, and this month proves the THE NEW YORK FLUTE CLUB INC. Fpoint. I am (re)writing this column on a plane en route 2008–2009 to Texas for a conference because, unfortunately, our sched- uled artist, Bonita Boyd, had a freak accident on November Board of Directors 8, breaking both her hip and elbow. Though she very much Nancy Toff, President wanted to try to keep the mid-December date, we both rec- David Wechsler, First Vice President Ardith Bondi, Second Vice President ognized that might be pushing our luck—and it would make Jeanne Wilson, Recording Secretary From the more sense to postpone her recital until next season. Bonnie is Keith Bonner, Membership Secretary President doing well and we wish her a speedy recovery. James N. Blair Treasurer The show must go on, and fortunately, Valerie Coleman and Susan Friedlander Karla Moe the Imani Winds were able to step into the breach on very Svjetlana Kabalin Fred Marcusa short notice, for which we are grateful. The Imani are known Nneka Landrum Seth Rosenthal for putting on a good show and I hope you’ll enjoy it. Whoa! some of you will say— Susan Lurie Rie Schmidt isn’t the New York Flute Club a staid, traditional 89-year-old that presents concerts, Stefani Starin not shows? Actually, we’re not only well preserved, we’re limber and even rather Advisory Board entertaining. Another octogenarian, the pianist Jerome Rappoport, told me in an Jeanne Baxtresser Marya Martin oral history interview that our own Georges Barrère once referred to a concert they Harold Jones Michael Parloff were playing as a show. Rappaport was shocked—shocked!—at the language. But Robert Langevin Jayn Rosenfeld Gerardo Levy the older and wiser Barrère patiently explained that part of his job was to entertain. He didn’t take his music any less seriously, but he realized that communicating with Past Presidents his audiences was essential to bringing classical music, unfamiliar chamber music no Georges Barrère .................... 1920– 1944 less, to small-town audiences across the country. Some seventy years later, the Imani John Wummer ........................ 1944– 1947 Milton Wittgenstein ............. 1947– 1952 Winds are doing the same thing, with an active nationwide tour schedule and a com- Mildred Hunt Wummer ........ 1952– 1955 mitment to community outreach. Frederick Wilkins .................. 1955– 1957 The Imani’s appearance also reminds us of our debt to Barrère in establishing Harry H. Moskovitz ............... 1957– 1960 Paige Brook ............................ 1960– 1963 the woodwind quintet in the United States. Barrère arrived here in May 1905 to Mildred Hunt Wummer ...... 1963– 1964 take up his post as principal flutist of the New York Symphony, and one of the first Maurice S. Rosen ................ 1964– 1967 things he and Walter Damrosch did was to found the New York Symphony Wind Harry H. Moskovitz .............. 1967– 1970 Paige Brook ........................... 1970– 1973 Instruments Club, an organization modeled on Barrère’s innovative Société Mod- Eleanor Lawrence ................ 1973– 1976 erne d’Instruments à Vent in Paris. (The SMIV was, in turn, modeled on Taffanel’s Harold Jones ......................... 1976– 1979 wind chamber music society.) With a repertoire both classic (Beethoven, Mozart) and Eleanor Lawrence ................ 1979– 1982 Paige Brook ........................... 1982– 1983 French (Caplet, Pierné, Lefebvre, Gounod, Debussy), the club performed primarily at John Solum ............................ 1983– 1986 private venues. By November 1906 the NYSWIC had been reduced from ten men to Eleanor Lawrence ................ 1986– 1989 a woodwind quintet, a more practical ensemble consisting of Barrère, oboist Cesar Sue Ann Kahn ....................... 1989– 1992 Nancy Toff ............................. 1992– 1995 Addimando, clarinetist Henry Léon Leroy, bassoonist Auguste Mesnard, and hornist Rie Schmidt ........................... 1995– 1998 Hermann Hand. Patricia Spencer ..................... 1998– 2001 It was succeeded in 1910 by the unaffiliated Barrère Ensemble of Wind Instru- Jan Vinci................................... 2001– 2002 Jayn Rosenfeld ....................... 2002– 2005 ments, which began touring the country in 1913 (first stop: Greencastle, Indiana) David Wechsler...................... 2005–2008 and continued in various configurations through the 1920s. In addition to promoting Newsletter the French repertoire that its leader had inspired in France, including quintets by Katherine Saenger, Editor Deslandres, Colomer, Lefebvre, and Gouvy, the Enesco Dixtuor (for double quintet), 115 Underhill Road and the Caplet quintet for piano and winds, it gave the U.S. premieres of such works Ossining, NY 10562 as Rimsky-Korsakov’s Quintet in B-flat Major for piano and winds, the Lazzari Suite 914-762-8582 [email protected] for eight winds, and the Ibert Trois Pièces Brèves. Equally important was the group’s support of American composers, among them Charles Griffes, Nikolai Berezowsky, Lauren Zavlunov, Designer 1108 Quail Ridge Drive David Guion, Christiaan Kriens, Henry Cowell, and Daniel Gregory Mason. Barrère Plainsboro, NJ 08536 made numerous quintet arrangements, 12 of which were published by G. Schirmer 516-317-2413 under the Juilliard imprimatur. [email protected] Maintaining a woodwind quintet is at least as much of a challenge today; the Imani Winds, along with other quintets who have played for the club (the Borealis Quintet www.nyfluteclub.org and the Sylvan Winds, in recent years) do their part to continue the tradition and expand the repertoire. Let’s celebrate their efforts on December 14. Copyright © 2008 by The New York Flute Club Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. December 2008 — 3 FLUTE Member (1991-93), to name just a few. HAPPENINGS High school: John Jay High School in Ka- Profile FREE to current NYFC members, this section lists upcom- tonah, NY. ing performances by members; flute-related contests, auditions, and masterclasses organized/sponsored Reva Degrees: BM in flute performance (Man- by members; and brief descriptions of members’ new Youngstein recordings, sheet music, and books. Send submissions to hattan School of Music, 1990), MM in the Newsletter Editor. NYFC Member flute performance (Yale School of Music, since 1995 1992). DECEMBER ’08 Employment: Freelance performer; music Most notable and/or personally satisfying Thursday noon faculty member at the Brearley School for accomplishment(s): Being the mother of Dec Girls in Manhattan. twin girl toddlers, and still holding it all 4 The Music at Noon series presents together! a Christmastime flute and harp recital with A recent recital/performance: Perform- CARLA AULD and Merynda Adams. ing Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Lehar's Favorite practice routines: Reva says, “My • Morristown United Methodist