The story of the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet

Abstract

The Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet has been the wind quintet-in-residence at the University of Washington School of Music since 1968. Officially founded in 1962, when its members were on the faculty of the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, the group has had a long and stable history. Through their concerts, tours, and recordings, the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet has established an international reputation. Over the years, many distinguished composers have written works especially for the Soni Ventorum, thus expanding the repertoire of the wind quintet.This study traces the history of the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet mainly through interviews with the quintet members themselves. This history includes antecedent quintets in which members of the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet participated (namely, a student quintet at the Curtis Institute, The American Wind Ensemble of Vienna, and the U.S. Seventh Army Symphony Wind Quintet). It covers the founding of the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet in 1962 at the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico through their tenure from 1968 through the present as the wind quintet-in-residence at the University of Washington in Seattle. It gives an account of the establishment of the Soni Ventorum's recording career, their approach to sound and ensemble, their many tours, participation in festivals and competitions, and personnel. The study details the Soni Ventorum's collaborations with colleagues at the University of Washington School of Music, especially the many composers who wrote pieces for the group. One chapter covers ensemble pieces that have been written for the members of the Son! Ventorum Wind Quintet, while another presents wind quintet and quartet arrangements that were prepared by the quintet members themselves. The final chapter provides biographies of the members of the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet.The Introduction to the study is a brief history of wind quintets. The study concludes with detailed appendices cataloguing the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet's repertoire, concerts, residencies, tours and a complete discography.At the time of this writing, the author is aware of no other work detailing the history of an established wind quintet.