Cardinal Winds receive strong review for Clyde Montgomery Concert performance

The Cardinal Winds woodwind sextet performed at the annual Clyde Montgomery Concert in Pasadena on March 29, during which they premiered composer Stephen Cohn’s “Aria for Winds.” Rodney Punt, in a review for LA Opus, reported that the sextet members “had their work cut out” on Cohn’s piece, but “deftly conveyed both the work’s craftsmanship and its complex charms.” In addition to “Aria for Winds,” the group performed works by Francis Poulenc and Ludwig Thuille.

The ensemble formed at USC Thornton in 2014 and features Catherine Baker, flute (GCRT), Kelsi Doolittle, clarinet (MM), Alex Garcia, bassoon (MM ’13), Hedy Lee, piano (DMA ‘13), Zachary Pulse, oboe (GCRT), and Carrie Rexroat, horn (MM). In March, the group was awarded the Grand Prize in the 2015 Plowman Chamber Music Competition in Columbia, Missouri and they will compete in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Indiana this month.