Undaunted by stormy weather, the Madera Winds returns to Wilton Library for a Connecticut’s Own concert on Sunday, Nov. 5, from 4-5 p.m.. Originally scheduled to perform this past February but put on ice by a snowstorm, the quintet will perform chamber music by Debussy, Malcolm Arnold, George Gershwin, and a piece by Paquito D’Rivera, as a special nod to the library’s Wilton Reads selection, Waiting for Snow in Havana.
The Madera Winds is a blend of Connecticut musicians who have performed over the last thirty years in other chamber music groups in Wilton as well as throughout Fairfield County. The members include Ralph Kirmser (oboe), Janet Atherton (clarinet), Rosemary Dellinger (bassoon), Zach Glavan (horn), and Joanne Hiscocks (flute).
Ralph Kirmser (oboe) of Wilton was a founding member of Prevailing Winds Quintet since the 1980s. He was a principal oboist for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra during his undergraduate days at Dartmouth. He performed with Orvieto Musica, Orvieto, Italy and has given numerous performances in and around Fairfield County, including previous engagements in the Brubeck Room. He is oboist for Morningside Wind Quintet of New York City. Dr. Kirmser lives in Wilton and is a cardiologist in Fairfield, CT.
Janet Atherton (clarinet) of Norwalk also was a founding member of the Prevailing Winds Quintet. She is a member of the Connecticut Little Symphony and the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra. She received her Master’s Degree from Manhattan School of Music where she was a student of Leon Russianoff. She has previously played clarinet in the National Orchestra Association in New York City, The Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, and the Congregation of the Arts Festival at Dartmouth College. Ms. Atherton teaches instrumental music in the Greenwich Public School System. She has appeared numerous times on the Brubeck Room stage as a member of Prevailing Winds, Connecticut Little Symphony and The Madera Winds.
Rosemary Dellinger (bassoon) received her BFA from S.U.N.Y. Purchase. She began her graduate studies at the Yale School of Music when she decided to take a position as principal bassoonist of La Orquesta Sinfonica de Maracaibo in Venezuela. Upon her return, she pursued a degree in Spanish and is currently teaching the language at Cider Mill School in Wilton. She continues her musical aspirations by playing in several orchestras and groups in the area including the Connecticut Little Symphony, with which she has performed in the Brubeck Room, along with The Madera Winds.
Zach Glavan (horn) attended Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Jeff Nelsen (Canadian Brass) and Dale Clevenger (Chicago Symphony). After graduating from Indiana, Zach performed abroad serving as guest Principal Horn of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Daejeon Philharmonic (South Korea), and also played for the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra (Spain), BCN 216 (Barcelona), Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, and the Macau Orchestra. In 2009, his ‘Glavan Quintet’ was a featured artist at the VII International Colombian Music Festival in Medellín, Colombia. Since moving to New York City, Zach has worked in North American radio promotion, representing acts such as Coldplay, Major Lazer, Arctic Monkeys, Flume and Ellie Goulding.
Joanne Hiscocks (flute) received her music degrees from McGill University in Montreal and Butler University in Indianapolis, and was a longtime student of Louis Moyse. She taught in the public school system in Ontario and is an experienced private teacher. Since moving to Connecticut, she has taught extensively, been a member of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra for more than 20 years, and freelances throughout Connecticut.
The Connecticut’s Own concert series showcases musicians who live or perform in Connecticut. There is no charge for the concerts. The media sponsor for the series is Good Morning Wilton. Due to the popularity of the series, registration is strongly suggested. Pre-registrants should arrive by 3:50 to be guaranteed seating; wait-listed and walk-in registrants will be admitted after 3:50 if space is available.
For this concert only, a diverse collection of classical, jazz, Latin and blues CDs will be available for purchase in the gallery. Concertgoers should come early to peruse the selection. The CDs are priced to sell; many are shrinking-wrapped items perfect for holiday gift giving.
For registration and directions, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org or call 203-762-6334. Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center.