Bronx Arts Ensemble Woodwind Quintet Presents Women’s Work

The Bronx Arts Ensemble woodwind quintet presents Women’s Work, a collection of music written by American women, at the New York Botanical Garden.  This program is inspired by the ongoing conversation about women, their rights, and their roles in society and aims to highlight the contributions of women to the classical music field.

The feature presentation is Jenni Brandon’s Five Frogs, evoking the sounds of frogs in nature. Robert Fanuzzi, President of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality will give a talk at the conclusion of the concert.

BAE WOODWIND QUINTET
Theresa Norris, flute
William Meredith, oboe
Mitchell Kriegler, clarinet
Wilden Dannenberg, French horn
Atsuko Sato, bassoon

PROGRAM:
Adriana Verdié – Tangoscente 
Ruth Crawford Seeger – Suite for Wind Quintet
Andrea Clearfield – Compass Kaleidoscope
Jenni Brandon – Five Frogs
 (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon)

THERESA NORRIS, flutist, is a “Motown” girl who performed with Michigan Opera Theatre and the Detroit Symphony before coming to New York. She has been an Artist Member of the Bronx Arts Ensemble for more than 30 years, while enjoying a busy orchestral and chamber music career playing with many groups in New York City and the surrounding area.  Theresa has performed with St. Bart’s Music Festival, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New Jersey Festival Orchestra, Berkshire Opera, Philip Glass Ensemble and many others, as well as on Broadway. When not performing or teaching, Theresa can be found tending her garden or cooking and entertaining friends.  On that rare night off, she’s with her husband Charley, bowling and groovin’ to the music at the Brooklyn Bowl.

WILLIAM MEREDITH, oboist, made his debut at the age of thirteen as a soloist with the Kansas City Philharmonic, and subsequently moved to New York City to study with Harold Gomberg at the Manhattan School of Music.  Bill has played with the Westchester Symphony, Virginia Opera Company, New Jersey Symphony, Long Island Symphony and new music group North-South Chamber Orchestra.  He has as well performed as principal with the American Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Connecticut Grand Opera and Grand Opera of New York. In demand as a chamber musician, Bill is a member of the Andiamo Ensemble and Linden Woodwind Quintet, as well as Bronx Arts Ensemble. A busy commercial musician, he has recorded with Queen Latifah and in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie Blackwater Lighthouse. Bill has also been oboist for many Broadway shows, including My Fair Lady, Ragtime and Beauty and the Beast. 

Bronx–born clarinetist MITCHELL KRIEGLER graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Charles Russo, Conrad Kuchay and Robert Renino.  He performs at Lincoln Center with the New York City Ballet Orchestra and at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops.  He is an Artist Member of the Bronx Arts Ensemble and Linden Quintet, and performs with the New York City Opera Orchestra

Bassoonist ATSUKO SATO is a graduate of the Toho School of Music in Japan and Juilliard School of Music in New York.  A former member of the Detroit Symphony, she is a member of the Queens Symphony.  Active as a freelancer in the Tri-State area, Atsuko is an original member of the orchestra for The Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest running production.  Her playing can be heard on the Emmy Award-winning television show Wonder Pets.  A notable chamber music musician, she performs with a variety of groups including Grammy-nominated Englewinds and Double Entendre, as well as with the Bronx Arts Ensemble as Artist Member. 

Horn player WILDEN DANNENBERG is active in the New York area as hornist, conductor, arranger and organist. Recent highlights include the premiere of Silver, Blue, a Carnegie Hall-commissioned quintet for horn and strings by T.J. Cole, multiple collaborations as conductor and performer with composer Tania León, and a performance of Schumann’s Konzertstücke for four horns and orchestra.  A native of South Georgia, Wilden holds degrees from Florida State University and SUNY Stony Brook, and is an alum of Ensemble Connect, a fellowship program of Carnegie Hall and the Juilliard School.  He is a member of the New York-based quintet Connect Five, Artist Member of the Bronx Arts Ensemble, teaching artist for Carnegie Hall and faculty member at Adelphi University.