Concerto for Imani Winds & Orchestra

David Serkin Ludwig’s first memory was singing Beatles songs with his sister; his second was hearing his grandfather perform at Carnegie Hall; foreshadowing a diverse career collaborating with many of today’s leading musicians, filmmakers, and writers. His choral work “The New Colossus,” opened the private prayer service for President Obama’s second inauguration. The next year NPR Music named him in the world’s “Top 100 Composers Under Forty.” He holds positions and residencies with nearly two dozen orchestras and music festivals in the US and abroad.

Ludwig has received commissions and notable performances from many of the most recognized artists and ensembles of our time, including the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and National Symphony Orchestras, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Dresden Music Festival, as well as Jonathan Biss, Jeremy Denk, Jennifer Koh, Jaime Laredo, David Shifrin, eighth blackbird, the Dover and Borromeo Quartets, Imani Winds, and the PRISM Saxophone Quartet and conductors Yannick Nezet Sequin, Manfred Honeck, Juanjo Mena, and JoAnn Falletta.

This year Ludwig was honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters as recipient of their annual award in music. In 2022 Ludwig was awarded the Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the largest of its kind for chamber music. He received the prestigious 2018 Pew Center for the Arts and Heritage Fellowship, as well as the First Music Award, and is a two-time recipient of the Independence Foundation Fellowship, a Theodore Presser Foundation Career Grant, and awards from New Music USA, the American Composers Forum, American Music Center, Detroit Chamber Winds, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In 2021 Ludwig was named a Steinway Artist by Steinway and Sons. He served on the composition faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music for nearly two decades before being appointed Dean and Director of Music of The Juilliard School in June 2021. He lives in New York City with his wife, acclaimed violinist Bella Hristova, and their four beloved cats.

Imani Winds is the 2024 Grammy winner in the Classical Compendium category for Jeff Scott’s “Passion for Bach and Coltrane” released on their recently formed record label, Imani Winds Media.

Celebrating over a quarter century of music making, the three time Grammy nominated group has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Lean more

A leading soloist and chamber musician, Brandon Patrick George is the flutist of the GRAMMY-nominated Imani Winds. He has appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Albany Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble; and as a guest with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), among other notable ensembles.

Mr. George made his New York recital debut at 92nd Street Y and has performed at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Elbphilharmonie, the Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Dresden Music Festival, and the Prague Spring International Music Festival. His debut album, featuring works by Aho, Bach, Boulez, and Prokofiev, was released by Haenssler Classics in September 2020.

In addition to his performances with Imani Winds, Mr. George has collaborated with members of the Gryphon Trio, the New York Philharmonic, and the Jasper String Quartet; and has performed live on New York’s WQXR with harpist Bridget Kibbey.

With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mr. George has performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, under conductors Gustavo Dudamel, Karina Canellakis, Ludovic Morlot, and John Williams. He has toured the U.S. and Europe with ICE, appearing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Park Avenue Armory in New York, and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in England. Through these collaborations, Mr. George has worked closely with composers John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Steve Reich, and George Lewis, among others.

Mr. George is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He received his Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music, where he won the school’s concerto competition. At the invitation of Sophie Cherrier, he continued his studies in France at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.

Mr. George joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2021.

Oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz grew up surrounded by her parent’s enormous record collection in Washington, D.C. It was there she absorbed the many layers of classical music’s beauty and the inspiring and uniting potential of the world’s diverse cultural landscape.

Ms. Spellman-Diaz earned her bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and her master’s and professional studies degrees from Manhattan School of Music. Her orchestral career includes performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

Hailed by the Washington Post for her “smooth, controlled tone and excellent technique,” she has performed concertos with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Manhattan Virtuosi, and the Kennedy Center Youth Orchestra.

An original member of Imani Winds, Ms. Spellman-Diaz has built her career as a champion of contemporary chamber music. Along with her Imani Winds colleagues, she is devoted to discovering new and diverse musical voices and cultures to increase and enhance the woodwind quintet repertoire. She has also collaborated with some of today’s most influential chamber music ensembles, including Alarm Will Sound, the Antara Ensemble, and Camerata Pacifica. Ms. Spellman-Diaz teaches at Brooklyn College and NYU Steinhardt, and currently serves on the board of directors of the American Composers Orchestra.

Ms. Spellman-Diaz joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2021.

Mr. Dover maintains a busy touring schedule throughout the United States and abroad with the Imani Winds. He is a member of the Manhattan Chamber Players and has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Leonard Slatkin, the Cleveland Orchestra with David Zinman, the New World Symphony, and many other ensembles.

Mr. Dover has an extensive background in improvised music. He is a frequent collaborator with Vulfpeck, an American funk band formed in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Mich. His duo Port Mande, with pianist/producer Jeremy Jordan, performs original music frequently throughout New York. The duo’s EP Is This Loss? was released in July 2020.

Mr. Dover joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2021 and also serves on the clarinet faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, City University of New York. He is an active clinician and has conducted master classes at many institutions including the University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of South Carolina.

A graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, Mr. Dover received his Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music and his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan. His most influential teachers include David Krakauer, Deborah Chodacki, and Jay DeVries.  He lives in New York City with his wife, soprano Faylotte Crayton, and his daughter Lulu.

Kevin Newton is the newest member of the GRAMMY-nominated wind quintet, Imani Winds. A native of South Boston, Virginia, he is a horn player and educator based in Manhattan. His first music teacher, his mother, instilled in him a love of music-making’s collaborative spirit.

As a chamber musician, he has performed with Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Metropolitan Horn Authority, Roomful of Teeth, and Tredici Bacci, among other ensembles. He has appeared professionally on the stages of Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and National Sawdust.

An advocate for new music, Mr. Newton collaborated with composer Erin Busch to premiere a solo work as a part of the Contemporary Performance Institute at the Composers Conference in 2020. He is involved with several commissions set to premiere in the 2021–22 season. Mr. Newton formerly served as principal horn of the Waynesboro Symphony and, as an orchestral soloist, he has performed works by Gordon Jacob, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Franz Strauss.

Mr. Newton enjoys a busy recording schedule and has recently recorded with Tredici Bacci, Metropolitan Horn Authority, Tex Crick, and Sami Stevens, as well as for commercial projects. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University. He holds a Master of Music degree in orchestral performance from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a regular participant at Yellow Barn in Vermont.

Mr. Newton joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2021. He is also on the horn faculty of Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege division and MSM Summer.

For nearly 30 years, she has captivated audiences through dynamic performances, bold programming, and a dedication to outreach, education, and collaboration.

A proud Pittsburgh native and “band kid,” Monica began her music journey on clarinet, saxophone and piano. After discovering the bassoon in middle school and studying with Mark Pancerev, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory under George Sakakeeny. She went on to receive her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, and a Professional Studies Certificate from Manhattan School of Music studying with Frank Morelli at both institutions.

Monica has appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, and Chineke! Orchestra in London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Her discography spans genres and includes collaborations with jazz icons Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea, as well as 10 albums with Imani Winds.

She serves as co-artistic and executive director of Imani Winds and their Chamber Music Festival, treasurer for their Foundation, and teaches at Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music. She is also a board member of Concert Artists Guild and the International Double Reed Society.

Based in the historic village of Harlem in New York City, with her son, Oden, Monica is a passionate educator, advocate for equity in classical music, and is honored to have Imani Winds featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Monica Ellis joined the chamber music faculty of Curtis in 2021.

Music Director of Minnesota Orchestra for 18 years and of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2020, Osmo Vänskä is recognised for compelling interpretations of repertoire of all ages and an energetic presence on the podium. His democratic and inclusive style of work has been key in forging long-standing relationships with different orchestras.

Celebrating the last year of his tenure with Minnesota Orchestra this season, Osmo Vänskä presents some of his signature repertoire. He is joined by favourite guest soloists including Joshua Bell and Lisa Batiashvili, and continues with This Is Minnesota Orchestra, an Emmy Award-nominated series of performances for TV, radio and online audiences launched in 2020, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vänskä has undertaken five major European tours, as well as historic trips to Cuba in 2015 – the first visit by an American orchestra since the two countries re-established diplomatic relations – and South Africa in 2018, as part of worldwide celebrations of Nelson Mandela’s Centenary – the first visit by an American orchestra, drawing together South African and American performers in musical expressions of peace, freedom and reconciliation, on a five-city tour following a successful return to London’s BBC Proms.

After a successful first season with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, including opening and closing the Lotte Concert Hall Festival and recording works by Korean composer Isang Yun, he embarks on his second year with numerous concerts and community outreach projects.

He returns this season to the Symphony and Philharmonic orchestras of Pittsburgh, Antwerp, Helsinki, Netherlands Radio and Tokyo Metropolitan. While past guest conducting invitations include renowned international ensembles such as The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Chicago symphony orchestras in North America; Orchestre de Paris, Berlin’s Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester in Europe, and London Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK; and the Shanghai Symphony and China, Hangzhou, Hong Kong and Taiwan philharmonic orchestras in Asia.

Acclaimed for its “otherworldly ensemble and professional level of sophistication” (New York Times), the Curtis Symphony Orchestra offers a dynamic showcase of tomorrow’s exceptional young talent. Each year the 100 extraordinary musicians of the orchestra work with internationally renowned conductors, including Osmo Vänskä, Vladimir Jurowski, Marin Alsop, Simon Rattle, Robert Spano, and Yannick Nézet Séguin, who also mentors the early-career conductors who hold Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellowships. This professional training has enabled Curtis alumni to assume prominent positions in America’s leading orchestras, as well as esteemed orchestral, opera, and chamber ensembles around the world.