The Santa Maria Valley has no shortage of fine musicians and musical groups. And while bigger is often better, there’s a lot to be said for smaller ensembles. At least members of the Santa Maria Chamber Music Concert think so. Musicians in three smaller performing groups hope to show audiences how beautiful a concert can be with fewer players.
The Festival String Quartet, the Santa Maria Winds Quintet, and the Maestro Brass Quintet will present a concert showcasing what it takes to perform in a small group.
Each group will perform 25 minutes of music, from classical to contemporary. The three groups will play together for a finale.
Patricia Lynn of the Santa Maria Winds Quintet organized the Santa Maria Chamber Music Concert series because, even though Santa Maria can boast orchestra-type concerts, it lacks the intimate setting of a smaller chamber music setup.
“It’s unique, because the sound is different,” Lynn said of a scaled-down group concert. “You have no conductor, and it’s more demanding and one-on-one.”
Lynn explained the group plays original music from four different modern composers, as well as other music from locals and classical figures like Beethoven, Mozart, and the like.
Gary Thompson put together the Maestro Brass, which consists of five music teachers and conductors: Greg Stoll and Forrest Stoll on trumpets, Herb Adams on French horn, Bob Swayze on trombone, and Thompson on tuba.
“I organized the group 10 to 12 years ago because I wanted a place to play my tuba, so it’s sort of like, ‘It’s my ball, so I get to play in the game,’” Thompson joked.
Lynn’s group, the Santa Maria Winds Quintet, organized in 1980 and features Carol Houchens on flute, Lynn on oboe, Gena Laird on clarinet, Kelli Reynolds on French horn, and Lawrence Lee on bassoon.
All three groups separately play for various community events and fundraisers, but every half a year or so they join forces to create the Santa Maria Chamber Music Concert.
“I think that it’s important for any area to have a wide variety of offerings,” Thompson said of Santa Maria’s concert options.
Rounding out the super group is the Festival Strings, organized by Jed Beebe and featuring Diane Siminski and Patricia Shields on violin, Tracy Sparks on cello, and Beebe on viola.
Lynn said a chamber music concert is something everyone should enjoy.
“It’s just a great music experience,” she said. “It really is.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone wants conserves letters when she types. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 3-10, 2011.