New Yorkers the Imani Winds have played in all number of venues during their 18 years together but never a winery.
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Dubbed America's leading wind quartet, the Imani Winds, were among several international performers to play to a sold-out crowd of more than 600 at the annual Huntington Estate Music Festival on Wednesday.
“We've performed in so many different types of venues, when you're together for 18 years you run the gamut of everything but this is a first being in a winery,” oboe player Toyin Spellman-Diaz said.
“I think the sound is great, it actually works with the oak barrels because those are good for the acoustic. Whatever works we'll do.
“Something with wood in it is always a wonderful place to be when you're playing and yes the barrels are just built in and that square block just lets the sound come right out, it's wonderful,” the group's bassoon player Monica Ellis said.
It's the ensemble's first visit to Australia after being invited to the festival two year ago.
“We knew about Musica Viva [joint co-ordinators of the festival] for many years as the premier chamber music presenting organisation in Australia and so we then found out about the Huntington Festival through Musica Viva,” Monica said.
“So wanting to be a part of this has really been a goal of ours for the past several years.
“We're just wanting to gain more international exposure and come to places that we may not have the chance to do any other way has really been a goal of ours.”
“This is a real dream for us. It's a marvellous work-cation for us because we get to wear our summer clothes. It's a true treat,” added flutist Valerie Coleman.
“That's actually one of the great things about how they set up this whole experience is they invite you out days before the first rehearsal even so you can acclimate, sight-see. It's spectacular,” French horn player Jeff Scott said.
Veterans of the festival, the Goldner String Quartet, said they return for the Huntington acoustics.
“There are a number of festivals that perform inside wineries but this has an unbelievable acoustic it's really fantastic,” the group's cellist Julian Smiles said.
“It was probably one of the early ones, in the years since Huntington first started many others have sprung up and each one has its own ambience, atmosphere but I think this is special because of the acoustic.”
Huntington Estate owner Nicky Steven said tickets for the festival sold out in February – the same month as their release.
“We've got a really stunning line up this year, some Americans, some Europeans, a lot of strong women this year,” she said.
“The Imani Wind Quintet is four fantastic African-American women and they're awesome and they've been together for 20 years. The Vertavo Quartet from Norway and they've been together for 32 years they're all female and they are brilliant. We've got a lovely crop of musicians.”
The festival will continue this Sunday when the Arcadia Quintet perform a concert for families with children aged 10 and under from 9.30am to 10am, to introduce children to the wind family of instruments, including flute, clarinet, bassoon and the oboe.
The Arcadia Quintet was is five young musicians from around the country who share a love of playing together and a passion for wind chamber music.