Neoteric Chamber Winds

A lively, modern, musical mix of woodwinds, brass, piano & voice

Neoteric Chamber Winds was founded in 2011 to explore music written in the 20th and 21st centuries for uncommon combinations of wind instruments. Neoteric takes the forces of the woodwind quintet, brass quintet, piano and saxophone to create mixed ensembles of 4-14 players. Neoteric’s repertoire is rarely performed due to its unique size and instrumentation.

Neoteric Chamber Winds was formed primarily by members and friends of St. Paul’s Grand Symphonic Winds who were seeking opportunities to perform in a more intimate setting. Chamber music pushes musicians to stretch and work in ways that we typically can't in larger ensembles. Small ensembles demand greater flexibility, more nuance, effective teamwork and bigger ears.

The traditional, “classical” repertoire for small ensembles is vast, but there is so much chamber music that is not often heard, with unusual combinations of players. The ensemble—which is led entirely by its volunteer-performers—purposefully seeks out unusual works for combinations of instruments that go beyond the familiar woodwind or brass quintet. Over the group’s six-year existence, it has performed works for instrument groupings as straightforward as a woodwind quintet augmented by alto saxophone, to complex works requiring up to fifteen players.

As both a cause and effect of this modernist mission, the selected compositions generally come from the 20th and 21st centuries. Neoteric members search the nooks and crannies of music literature for stuff we’ve never heard of that sounds like it’d be cool.

Neoteric currently puts together a summer program each year with performances in early August.