Search - The Iowa Ensemble;Andrew Parker (oboe);Benjamin Coelho (bassoon);Alan Huckleberry (piano) :: Portraits in Music - Works for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano | Baldwin, Bush, Griebling-Haigh, Mahle and Vallon

The Iowa Ensemble presents Portraits in Music, a program created to be as intellectually stimulating as it is pleasing to the ear. Through the sounds of Brazil, England, France, Spain and the American Southwest, the works reflect five distinct musical personalities. More than simply alluring exoticism, however, these pieces provide realistic and highly descriptive representations of their chosen settings. Three of the composers draw specifically upon their own whereabouts, while the remaining two draw on nearby or visited places. These five portraits are, essentially, a sonic travelogue of contemporary art music. Andrew Parker maintains a rich career as an orchestral musician, soloist and chamber player. He has appeared as a guest artist with the Quad City Symphony and the Great Falls Symphony and recently performed the world premiere of an oboe concerto, Pillars of Creation, with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble. Parker has played in numerous other orchestras in North America, including the National Arts Centre Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the symphony orchestras of Richmond, Ann Arbor, Flint, New Mexico, Santa Fe, Great Falls and Plymouth, and Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria, Parker is currently the principal oboe of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Bassoonist Benjamin Coelho has appeared as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and teacher in several countries including the United States, Europe, Australia, and Latin America. As an active member in the International Double Reed Society, Coelho regularly performs at many of their annual conferences. An avid chamber musician, he has performed with the many chamber groups and has won various competitions including Artists International, Coleman Chamber Music Competition, and Monterey Peninsula Chamber Music Competition. An enthusiastic proponent of new music, Coelho has commissioned and premiered more than 50 bassoon works for solo, chamber and concerto. Pianist Alan Huckleberry is recognized as a multi-faceted artist on the classical music scene. He has performed in recitals as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe, Australia, Central America, South America and the United States. In addition to his performing career, Dr. Huckleberry is equally passionate about his role as an educator. He is currently professor of piano pedagogy and collaborative arts at The University of Iowa, where he heads the piano pedagogy program. Huckleberry is a highly sought-after speaker, giving talks at the World Piano Pedagogy Conference, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and Music Teachers National Conference. At The University of Iowa, Huckleberry maintains a studio of national and international students, themselves beginning to leave their mark in their field.