Quintet Attacca

*Ensemble-in-residence at the Music Institute of Chicago
*Winner of Fischoff Grand Prize and Gold Medal
*Outreach ensemble-in-residence at Chicago Chamber Musicians, International Music Foundaton, and ARTSLink Grand Prize Winner of the 2002 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the quintet has spent the past four years in residence as the Outreach Ensemble for the Chicago Chamber Musicians. Quintet Attacca is also proud to be in residence at the Music Institute of Chicago. Quintet Attacca is one of only two wind quintets in the 35-year history of the Fischoff Competition to have received the Grand Prize. In that same year, the quintet was invited to be a finalist for Chamber Music Society Two at Lincoln Center. Quintet Attacca is an ensemble dedicated to bringing the unique sound of the wind quintet to all types of audiences: to this end, the quintet has played in venues across the Midwest, with extensive programming in Chicago. Quintet Attacca has reached audiences from Italy (at the 2003 Emilia Romagne Festival) to New York (at the Schneider Concerts Series at the New School) to concert halls all over Chicagoland. Recent performances have included the "First Monday Series" at the Chicago Cultural Center, Northeastern Illinois University's Jewel Box Series, a week-long educational residency with the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Fermilab Gallery Series, and the quintet's annual recital at the Music Institute in Evanston. Quintet Attacca delights in bringing music education to all ages and abilities. The quintet prides itself on its imaginative and engaging outreach programs. In January of 2008, Quintet Attacca collaborated with the Chicago Chamber Musicians to adapt and perform their popular "Quintet Idol!" show on the CCM Family Series at Navy Pier. November of 2009 included a week-long residence with the Fischoff Competition. Virtually every school in South Bend, IN hosted a presentation of "Peter and the Wolf," with the week culminating in a sold-out performance at the DeBartolo Center at Notre Dame. Through various organizations such as the International Music Foundation, Evanston-in-Schools, the Fischoff Competition, and the Chicago Chamber Musicians, Quintet Attacca has reached over a hundred schools and thousands of children! Qa has also given master classes to young performers and composers at Northwestern University, Northeastern Illinois University, and the Merit School of Music. Priding itself on its innovative programming, Quintet Attacca enjoys presenting concerts that are both accessible and cutting-edge. Programs have included works by Roberto Sierra, Eric Ewazen, Elliott Carter, Miguel de Aguila, Paquito d'Rivera, John Harbison, and Gyorgy Ligeti. Aditionally, five works have been written for the Quintet: David Smooke's Trompe L'oeil, Collin Anderson's Tangram, Dancas Brasilieras and Portrait by Rami Levin, and Dana McCormick's Two Episodes for Wind Quintet. New music projects have included a master class of young composers' works and a performance on Northwestern's New Music Marathon and an annual Call for Scores and performance at Lake Forest College. To creat balanced and entertaining programs, Quintet Attacca combines the challenges of today's most intriguing works with gems from the past.