Formed as a collective of some of Calgary’s most prominent freelance players, PERFECT CADENCE brings to life the often neglected world of chamber music for wind instruments. The quintet regularly performs music ranging from great masterworks of the repertoire to the latest Canadian compositions. Its members perform widely across Calgary and Southern Alberta, and have regular connections to virtually every classical ensemble, venue, and academic institution in the area. Outside of performing, the groups varied professional interests provide useful skills for the group’s interactive, multimedia educational shows.

Lucie Jones, formerly principal flute of Symphony Nova Scotia and currently principal flute of the Red Deer Symphony, is an instructor at MRU and can often be heard onstage with the CPO. 

Aura Pon is a performer, composer, and music researcher in addition to being principal oboe of the Symphony of the Kootenays. 

Ilana Dahl has performed all over Calgary, including with the CPO and Land’s End Ensemble, in addition to being Red Deer Symphony principal clarinet and a busy clinician and educator.

Daryl Caswell, a veteran instructor at the UCalgary Faculty of Engineering, builds and repairs tools for the music industry. He was one of the founding members of the Red Deer Symphony. 

Jonathan Gresl is bassoon instructor at the University of Lethbridge and principal bassoon of the Symphony of the Kootenays and Rocky Mountain Symphony. 

In the last few seasons one or more of our members have played with CPO, Theatre Calgary, Calgary Opera, Spiritus Choir, Festival Chorus, Bow Valley Chorus, Land’s End Ensemble, Timepoint Ensemble, Red Deer Symphony, amongst other places. 

Changing colours 

Inspired by the season, our selection of music for this concert emphasizes the varied sounds, the different tone colours made possible by the combination of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. Giulio Briccialdi was a flute soloist active during a time when wind instruments were being improved and given new abilities. His Quintet, written in the operatic style popular with audiences at the time, is a rarely heard gem. Paul Lansky was a long-time professor of composition at Columbia University and his “The Long and Short of it” is inspired by Mozart. It is music which allows the audience to hear unique aspects of each instrument. France has seemingly always liked wind instruments and the years between World War 1 and 2 were especially fruitful. Jacques Ibert’s Trio is representative of this witty and virtuosic style. Valerie Coleman used her career as a performer to inform her writing. “Tzigane” is a groove-based piece which gives all five players virtuosic parts to handle, ending the concert in dazzling style! ~Perfect Cadence Winds

This is the fourth and final concert in a series of Emerging Artist concerts during 2019 generously sponsored by: