The Department of Music will host the Imani Winds on Friday, March 17. This Grammy Award-nominated chamber group will give a lecture and demonstration at 9:30 a.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall for students in the MLIT 1003 course. The public is invited to attend. The group will also give masterclasses for UAMusic clarinet, oboe, and bassoon students in the Billingsley Music Building at 10:30 a.m. The quintet will also perform with Edward Simon and Afinidad as a part of the 10x10 Series at the Walton Arts Center on Saturday, March 18.

Extolled by The Washington Post as "exuding a sultry sophistication during performances," Imani Winds has established itself as one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the United States. Since 1997, the quintet has taken a unique path, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with its dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, adventurous collaborations, and inspirational outreach programs. With two member composers and a deep commitment to commissioning new work, the group is enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully bridging European, American, African and Latin American traditions.

The quintet is composed of Valerie Coleman, flute/composer; Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; Mark Dover, clarinet; Jeff Scott, french horn/composer; Monica Ellis, bassoon.

Their touring schedule has taken them across the globe. At home, the group has performed in the nation's major concert venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Disney Hall, and Kimmel Center. The group is frequently engaged by the premier chamber music series in Boston, San Francisco, Portland, Philadelphia and New York, and have also played virtually every major university performing arts series including those in Amherst, Ann Arbor, Austin, Seattle, Stanford, Urbana and countless others.

Festivals include Chamber Music Northwest, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society, Virginia Arts Festival, Bravo! Colorado, and Ravinia Festival. In recent seasons, the group has traveled extensively internationally, with tours in China, Singapore, Brazil, and throughout Europe. Recent season highlights include debuts at La Folle Journee in Nantes, France, and in London's Wigmore Hall. In 2015 they also debuted at Paris Jazz Festival and were featured at the Huntington Estate Festival in Australia.