Faculty Ensembles
Faculty Ensembles
The University of Delaware School of Music boasts a vibrant faculty ensemble program that showcases the exceptional talent and artistry of its esteemed professors. These faculty ensembles perform a diverse repertoire spanning classical, jazz, and contemporary genres, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience music at the highest level.
From the acclaimed Christiana Winds to the virtuosic University of Delaware Jazz Ensemble, these faculty-led groups captivate listeners with their technical mastery, expressive interpretations, and collaborative spirit.
The Calidore String Quartet is recognized as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of a vast chamber music repertory, from the cycles of quartets by Beethoven and Mendelssohn to works of celebrated contemporary voices like György Kurtág, Jörg Widmann, and Caroline Shaw. For more than a decade, the Calidore has enjoyed performances and residencies in the world’s major venues and festivals, released multiple critically acclaimed recordings, and won numerous awards.
An ensemble of five dynamic and brilliant players, Christiana Winds explores the exciting and unique tradition of wind chamber music from the 18th century to the present. In diverse settings from the concert hall to the school classroom, Christiana Winds brings to its audiences the freshness and immediacy of the wind-instrument tradition. As ensemble-in-residence in the University of Delaware School of Music, Christiana Winds performs a variety of music, often with guest artists, and has been active commissioning new works for wind quintet. Nurtured and inspired by the spirit of great North American and European wind players, Christiana Winds takes pride in continuing a tradition of outstanding wind chamber music and a devotion to the rich and varied music of the wind quintet.
Members of the quintet are Eileen Grycky, flute; Erin Banholzer, oboe; Christopher Nichols, clarinet; John David Smith, horn; and Zachary Feingold, bassoon, whom are active as a soloist and members of numerous other ensembles. Their activities include national and international performances, teaching, and recording.
Comprised of University of Delaware faculty members who are in demand as jazz performers in and around the Delaware Valley, the UD Faculty Jazz Ensemble is dedicated to the performance and education of America's classical music. The ensemble performs on campus as part of the School of Music’s concert series and is available for clinics and performances in schools and concert venues.
Members of the UD Faculty Jazz Ensemble are Todd Groves, saxophones; Dave Bozenhard, guitar; Miles Brown, bass; and Tom Palmer, drums/piano.
For over 20 years, Quey [“Kway"] Percussion Duo has dazzled audiences worldwide with their unmistakable style that blends traditions of contemporary, cross-cultural, classical, and popular music to create colorful sound worlds that often place focus on interlocking counterpoint and musical multi-tasking. Their presentations have a reputation for elevating the basic acts of striking, shaking, and scraping into a blast of energy, a splash of curiosity, with a pinch of whimsy.
Comprised of members Gene Koshinski and Tim Broscious, QPD has performed in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, China, France, Jordan, the UK, and extensively throughout the US. They have worked with music festivals, art galleries, chamber music series', conferences (including 5 PASIC appearances), professional orchestras, and have engaged in more than 120 university residencies worldwide. They also can be heard in the score of the award-winning short film The Passage, which was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018.
As new music advocates, QPD has generated over 200 new works written for the duo (or by the duo), many of which become instant “earworms" for audiences and staples in the repertoire for percussionists worldwide. They have collaborated with renowned composers including Pulitzer Prize recipient John Luther Adams, Emmanuel Séjourné, Alejandro Viñao, Molly Joyce, Alyssa Weinberg, Stuart Saunders Smith, Adam Silverman, Phyllis Chen, David Macbride, David M. Gordon, Ben Wahlund, and Casey Cangelosi. The result of such collaborations can be seen in the group's recordings for the Innova, Naxos, Centaur, and Equilibrium record labels. A review of their most recent album, soniChroma, stated, “one cannot help but stand in awe of the Quey Percussion Duo." (Percussive Notes)
QPD holds the only full-time residency by a percussion duo in the US at the University of Delaware where they co-direct the percussion program, deliver various chamber ensembles, coordinate applied lessons, and present joint studio classes. Their side-by side approach to teaching has led to many performance and recording opportunities for their students. In addition, their focus on creating high-level social media video content has led to nearly 2 million views of their performances. QPD is endorsed by Pearl/Adams Instruments, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drumheads, and Schoenhut Toy Pianos.
