James Caldwell (1939–2006), Oboe, member from 1962 to 1965
Christopher Leuba (Pictured in photo above), horn, member from 1962 to 1963 and from 1968 through 1979
Robert Bonnevie, horn, member from 1963 to 1967 Alex Klein, oboe, member from 1992 to 1994
Rebecca Henderson, oboe, member from 1996 to 1998
Peter Kern, Flute, member from 1966 to 1968
Sidney Rosenberg, bassoon, member, 1977 – 1978 season
David Sternbach, horn, member, 1967–1968 season
Dan Williams, oboe, member, 1995–1996 season
Tad Margelli, oboe, frequent guest
The Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet was an American wind quintet that was officially founded in 1962 when Pablo Casals asked its members to become the woodwind faculty of his newly founded Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico.[1] It is known worldwide for its many international tours sponsored by the United States Department of State including three tours of South America[1] and three of Europe. Over 25 original chamber works for winds have been written for the members of Soni Ventorum including compositions by Claude Arrieu,[2]William Bergsma,[3]Jean Francaix,[4] Gerald Kechley, Joseph Goodman,[5]John Verrall, and William O. Smith.[6] In 1972 the quintet won the silver medal at the International Instrumental Ensembles Competition (Festival Villa-Lobos) in Rio de Janeiro.
The group had a long and stable history. Through its concerts,[7] tours, and recordings, the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet established an international reputation.[8] For many years (beginning in 1968)[9]
Soni Ventorum was also the wind quintet-in-residence at the University of Washington School of Music.[10]
History
The quintet was founded in 1962 by Felix Skowronek, William McColl, Arthur Grossman, James Caldwell, and Christopher Leuba. Skowronek, McColl, and Grossman had been in the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra in the 1950s and had formed the Seventh Army Wind Quintet.[11] Members of the ensemble were on faculty at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, members of the Puerto Rico Symphony, and participants in the annual Casals Festival. During its years in Puerto Rico, the quintet went on several concert tours to the US mainland,[12] which led to recording opportunities with the Lyrichord label.
In 1968 Soni Ventorum was hired by the University of Washington School of Music as the resident Woodwind Quintet.[9] The group was active through June 2001.[13]
Discography
Year
Title
Genre
Label
Notes
1963
Works by Mozart and Villa-Lobos
Classical LP
Lyrichord LLST 7168
Reviewed: The New Records, March 1965; Audio, April 1965
1964
"A Festival of Winds," Works by Hamerik and Morris
Classical LP
Desto 6401
Featuring the Soni Ventorum Quintet and the New York Brass Quintet
1964
"Music for the Musical Clock" Works by Beethoven and Haydn, arr. Skowronek
Classical LP
Lyrichord LLST 7143
Reviewed: The New Records, July 1965; High Fidelity, November 1965; The Grammophone, May 1967; Records and Recordings, September 1967
1965
Music of Walter Piston, Ernst Krenek and Joseph Goodman
Classical LP
Lyrichord LLST 7158
Reviewed: High Fidelity, October 1966; Saturday Review (listed in "Year's Best Recordings"), November, 1966
1968
Electro-Vibrations: the Music of John Eaton
Classical LP
Decca DL71065
Microtonal techniques
1969
Quintets by Reicha and Danzi
Classical LP
Lyrichord LLST 7216
Reviewed: The New Records, May 1970
1970
Cambini: Trois Quintetti Concertans
Classical LP
Ravenna RAVE701
The New Records, July 1973; High Fidelity and Musical America, August 1972
1972
"Soni Ventorum Plays Poulenc and Villa-Lobos"
Classical LP
Musical Heritage Society MHS3187
Also released as a reel-to-reel 7.5 IPS 4-track Barclay-Crocker tape, MHS C3187
1972
"Soni Ventorum Plays Villa-Lobos"
Classical LP
Ravenna RAVE702
Reviewed: High Fidelity and Musical America, May 1973; Stereo Review,May 1973 "Recording of special merit"
1972
Two Quintets by Anton Reicha
Classical LP
Musical Heritage Society MHS 3248
1975
Two Quintets by Franz Danzi
Classical LP
Crystal S 251
Reviewed: The New Records, June 1976. Re-released in 2011 in CD format
1976
"Winds from the Northwest"
Classical LP
Crystal S 351
Flute and Bassoon. Reviewed: The New Records, June 1976
1977
Quintets by Paul Taffanel, Jean Martinon and Claude Arrieu
Classical LP
Crystal S 253
Reviewed: The New Records, September 1978; Fanfare, Jan./Feb., 1979; Consumers' Research, January 1979. The Taffanel quintet was re-released in 2011 in CD format.
1978
Works by Françaix, Arrieu, Ketting and Gerster
Classical LP
Crystal S 254
Reviewed: The Clarinet, Winter 1983; The New Records, July 1981; Cosmopolitan, June 1981
1980
"Music of Joseph Goodman and Joseph Alexander"
Classical LP
Serenus Recorded Editions SRS 12097
Reviewed: Fanfare, July/August 1882; The New Records, May 1982
1981
Four Quintets of Franz Danzi
Classical LP
Musical Heritage Society MHS 4621
Reviewed: Fanfare, May/June 1982
1981
"Music for Woodwinds, Chamber Ensemble and Voice" Works by W.O. Smith, Diane Thom and Joseph Goodman
Classical LP
Crystal S 257
With Montserrat Alavedra, soprano. Reviewed: The Clarinet, Spring 1984; The New Records, February 1984
1981
Quintets by Samuel Barber, Elliott Carter, Irving Fine and Joseph Goodman
Classical LP
Musical Heritage Society MHS 4782F
Reviewed: Fanfare, March/April 1984
1981
"Two Quintets for Piano and Winds" The Mozart and Beethoven Quintets
Classical LP
Musical Heritage Society MHS 4375
1982
Quintets by Carl Nielsen and Jean Françaix
Classical LP and CD
Musical Heritage Society MHS 7132K
1984
Works by Bergsma, Goodman, Zaninelli and Etler
Classical LP
Crystal S 258
Reviewed: The New Records, October 1985; Ovation, November 1985; Fanfare, November/December 1985; American Record Guide, January/February 1986
1985
"Six Works for Wind Quintet" Quintets by Ibert, Hindemith and Milhaud plus encores by Rimski-Korsakov, Fučik and Blanchet
Classical LP
Musical Heritage Society MHS 7364L
1986
Six Quartets of Rossini and Twelve Bagatelles of Mayr
Classical 2-LP set
Musical Heritage Society MHS 922024A
1990
"Soni Ventorum Plays Works of Jean Françaix and Ronald Roseman"
Classical CD
Musical Heritage Society 512759Y
1992
Schoenberg Quintet, Op. 26 and W.O.Smith, Jazz Set for Wind Quintet and Solo Violin
Classical CD
Musical Heritage Society 51422K
With Aloysia Friedmann, Violin
2011
"Danzi and Taffanel. Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet"
Classical CD
Crystal CD 251
Digitized remastering. Reviewed: Instrumentalist, July 2011; De Klarinet (Netherlands), July/August 2011; Fluit (Netherlands), September 2011; Fanfare, January/February 2012; The Horn Call, February 2012; The Flutist Quarterly, Fall 2011; Audiophile Audition – Classical Reissues, February 24, 2012; The Double Reed, Quarterly Journal of the International Double Reed Society Vol. 35 . No.1 July 2012
2013
"Music for the Musical Clock – Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart"
Classical mp3
Lyrichord LYR 6018
Digitized remastering of Lyrichord LLST 7143 and part of LLST 7168. mp3 download only. Reviewed: MusicWeb International, 2013–2014
2013
"Joseph Goodman – Walter Piston – Ernst Krenek – Heitor Villa-Lobos"
Classical mp3
Lyrichord LYR 6924
Digitized remastering of Lyrichord LLST 7158 and part of LLST 7168. mp3 download only.