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UPPER LAKE – On Saturday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m., the lyrical woodwind ensemble “Quintessential” concludes the 2010 series of informal “Concerts with Conversation” at the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.
These intimate concerts, held in Riffe’s Meeting House next to the hotel, give a small audience of 40 or so the chance to listen to and interact with world class musicians at close range.
All four of the previous concerts in the series have been sellouts and received rave reviews.
Quintessential is composed of some of the most outstanding woodwind players in Northern California.
The group includes Lake County residents Beth Aiken on oboe and Ann Hubbard on bassoon, together with Becky Ayres (flute), Paul Hadley (horn) and Eric Van Dyke (clarinet) from Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. These talented individuals have a long history of playing together in the larger Lake and Ukiah Symphony Orchestras as well as the Symphony of the Redwoods.
“This is a classic woodwind ensemble is composed of truly exceptional musicians,” said Catherine Hall, an orchestral colleague of these players. “They interrelate exceptionally well, blending nicely into the whole while allowing the individual brilliance of each musician to shine through.”
Kelseyville resident Beth Aiken is the principal oboist with Lake County Symphony, Ukiah Symphony and Symphony of the Redwoods. She also performs with the Mendocino Music Festival Orchestra and has performed with various chamber groups. She has been teaching vocal and instrumental music in the Lake County public schools since 1984.
“We all enjoy the larger setting of a big orchestra,” says Aiken, “but this format allows us to perform a wider repertoire of music that truly inspires all five of us. We’re really looking forward to our appearance in the Tallman series.”
Bassoonist Ann Hubbard is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and has performed and soloed with the Monterey Symphony, San Jose Symphony and the Midsummer Mozart Festival Orchestra. She presently teaches at the Ukiah School of Music and performs with the three major regional symphony orchestras.
Horn virtuoso Paul Hadley has been part of most major Northern California orchestras, including the UC Berkeley Orchestra. “I like being part of a large orchestra,” said Hadley, “but I particularly enjoy playing chamber music with my brass quintet as well as the wonderful Quintessential woodwind ensemble.”
Rebecca Ayres is a native Californian who selected the flute as her instrument at an early age and studied with mentors in Sacramento, San Francisco and New York. She has performed with symphony orchestras throughout the area including the San Francisco Symphony.
Eric Van Dyke lives on the Mendocino Coast and is principal clarinet for Symphony of the Redwoods and Ukiah Symphony, and plays in various chamber groups. In February, he was featured in the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with the Ukiah Symphony.
“We had the honor of hosting the first public performance by Quintessential at one of our Sunday Brunch sessions a while back,” said Tallman owner Bernie Butcher, “and they were fantastic. With their seamless renditions of chamber pieces from the Renaissance to modern composers, our guests at the May concert will be treated to a real musical experience.”
As in previous years, 10 percent of all proceeds from the concert series will be donated to the Soper-Reese Community Theatre Fund, which is converting the old single-screen movie theater in Lakeport into a state-of-the-art performing arts center.
Tickets are limited to 40 and can be obtained by calling the Tallman Hotel reception desk at 707-275-2244. The $25 ticket price entitles the holder to a 10-percent discount on a pre-concert dinner at the Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant next to the Hotel. Coffee and cookies are served at the concert venue. See www.TallmanHotel.com for further information.
