Nielsen Quintet Carl Nielsen (1865-1931), one of the great talents of the early twentieth century, created a very personal musical language that combines traditional tonality with an inventive approach to melody and form. Though a violinist by training, Nielsen had a great affinity for woodwind instruments. His flute and clarinet concertos are considered among the best in the genre. His Woodwind Quintet is in many ways a set of character studies that explore the colours of each instrument as well as their combinations. The listener will hear melodies traded from one instrument to another, and which each shift, there is a distinct change in character. Want to discover more of Nielsen’s music? We recommend his Symphony No. 4 and Violin Concerto as great places to start. Learn more about Nielsen here. As an encore, the wind quintet offers two brief movements from the pen of the Cuban-born composer, clarinetist and saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera. He is a much admired cross-over artist, bridging Latin, Jazz, Popular and Classical music traditions. The Aspen Wind Quintet commissioned his seven-movement work, Aires tropicales. From it we’ll feature the Vals Venezolano (dedicated to guitarist/composer Antonio Lauro) and Contradanza (dedicated to pianist/composer Ernesto Lecuona).