Since their debut in 1996, The Prairie Winds have presented the finest wind quintet literature in concert programs that entertain as well as enlighten. These musicians blend powerful musical technique with humor and intriguing background information to create a unique approach to the shaping of the concert experience. The Prairie Winds have performed at a number of celebrated music festivals, including the Ravinia Festival, the Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival, Chamber Music America's Education and Residency Institute, and the Britt Festival in Oregon, where the group served as quartet-in-residence for four years. The quintet also has an active radio presence: recent broadcasts include full-length concerts for Chicago's WFMT-FM “Live from Studio One” program and for listeners of Minnesota Public Radio. The members of the quintet pursue active musical careers outside the group, as teachers, touring artists, or members of world-renowned performing ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra.
Jonathan Keeble, flute, is a graduate of Northwestern University with a BMA, and of the Eastman School of Music with an MA, a DMA, and a Performer's Certificate. He has held faculty positions at Oklahoma State University, the State University of New York at Fredonia, and he is presently a visiting faculty member in the School of Music at the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana. In addition to his appearances with the Prairie Winds, he has appeared in recitals and with orchestras in North and South America and Europe. He has recorded with Albany records, and his recording Gale Force was selected as one of the top fifteen classical recordings of the year in 2000 by the Chicago Tribune. He was a featured artist in Flutemania in Arvika , Sweden, and he has appeared as a soloist at the National Flute Association conventions and Chamber Music Association Conferences. He presently serves as Principal Flute of Simfonia de Camera.
Jelena Dirks, oboe, is a California native and the 3rd generation of professional woman musicians in her family. She began studying violin and piano by the age of four and later expanded her studies to the oboe. She is a graduate of St. Olaf College, and hold two Master Degrees from the University of Michigan in oboe and in piano performance. From 1004-1006, Ms. Dirks was a member of the oboe section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where she appeared on stage with her mother, a violist in the CSO. She is a two-time winner of the Musical Merit Foundation Scholarship Competition. She is an accomplished pianist, and has performed on both instruments with groups throughout North and South America and Europe.
Susan Warner, clarinet, is a graduate of the University of Iowa and of the Eastman School of Music. She has taught at Ithaca College and the Eastman School, and is presently on the faculty of Wheaton Collete. She is presently a member of the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra. She formerly held principal chairs on clarinet in the Fort Wayne and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras, and she has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Montreal Symphony Orrchesta. Ms. Warner has performed at the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein, Heidelberg Castle, and Aspen Music Festivals. During two years at the Tanglewood Music Center, she was twice awarded special honors- the Cioffi prize for most outstanding woodwind player, and the Jackson Award for outstanding instrumentalist.
David Griffin, horn, has been a member of the horn section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1995. He is a graduate of Northwestern University. Prior to joining the Chicago Symphony, he was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony and the Houston Symphony. In 2002, he was the guest principal horn of the Shanghai Radio Symphony. He has performed with the Chicago Pro Musica, the Allegra Chamber Players, and Les Chambristes de Montreal.
Of particular interest this evening, Mr. Griffin collaborated with composer Cliff Colnot in transcribing long-lost music of Darius Milhaud from the 1939 film Calvacade d'Amour. The rediscovered music was arranged for wind quintet and used in a 27 minute performing version combining film and live chamber music. The Prairie Winds gave the world premier of this music in 2005, and will perform the work tonight.
Timothy McGovern, bassoon, is a graduate of Northwestern University, and is a member of the faculty at the University of Illinois,Champaign Urbana. He is presently the principal bassoonist of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Previously, he served as associate principal bassoon of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Chicago , Boston, and Toronto Symphony Orchestras , among many others. He has performed with Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, Joshua Bell, Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Berntsein, Neville Mariner, Charles Dutoit, and Seiji Ozawa.