...Once in a great while, a musician will take an instrument associated with more popular genres and raise it to a level of virtuosity and cross into classical repertory. Princeton University PhD student Kendall K. Williams has made a career moving the steel pan, an instrument part of a steel band, to the forefront of the classical stage. However, for Taking a Chance, given its world premiere Sunday afternoon, Williams put aside the steel pan and focused on nine members of the Richardson Chamber Players. Scored for flute, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, violin, cello, double bass, piano, and drums, this piece took a six-note melodic motive and varied it through orchestral color, dynamic variety, and the percussion of the piano. Flutist Rosenfeld led things off with a saucy melodic line, answered by the rest of the ensemble in various instrumental combinations, all expertly accompanied by pianist Margaret Kampmeier. Throughout the work, the musicians were always together as thematic riffs were passed around, with clarinetist Jo-Ann Sternberg providing especially smooth playing when her turn came around...
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Thank you WST doe posting this, I had no idea this existed!