Mexico City Woodwind Quintet

Based in the cosmopolitan Latin American capital, Mexico City Woodwind Quintet is the leading wind chamber music group in Mexico today. Like the city it represents, the Quintet’s repertory is a veritable mixture of traditional and modern works with a strong emphasis on contemporary Mexican and Latin American compositions, as attested by the success of its 4 compact discs: New Mexican Music (1995/ 2013); Salsa para Vientos (1998/ 2013); Pan-American Visions (2002) and Dreams for One America (2006). The list of works premiered by the Quintet is impressive, and incorporates not only pieces commissioned to the leading Mexican composers of today, but also important contemporary quintet literature by prominent international composers.

Since 1994, Mexico City Woodwind Quintet has been the recipient of several important grants awarded by the Mexican National Arts and Cultural Fund. Its most recent grant enabled the Quintet to go on international tours to the USA, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and France for concerts, masterclasses, chamber music workshops and lectures.

An important activity of the Quintet has been its close collaborative work with composers. Apart from commissioning established composers, the Quintet has also reached out to the younger, up-and-coming generation, resulting in an attractive mixture of styles in its repertory. Furthermore, the Quintet's has organized regular workshops for student composers, sharing with them our knowledge and experience regarding the practical aspects of the woodwind quintet. With our sponsorship, the best student works were published in a compilation in 2016.

The members of Mexico City Woodwind Quintet - Asako Arai (flute), Joseph Shalita (oboe), Rafael Prado (clarinet), Wendy Holdaway (bassoon), Cristian Cornejo (horn) - maintain an active schedule as soloists, recitalists, orchestral musicians and teachers. The international background of its members gives the Quintet a unique quality in its artistic approach, especially to new music.