KEENE, NH- The 2006 Grammy nominee for Best Classical Chamber Music Performance, the Borealis Wind Quintet, will be heard at Keene State College’s Redfern Arts Center, Wednesday, October 21, at 7:30 pm. Borealis will be performing in the Redfern’s Alumni Recital Hall, where, at 2 pm, they will also hold a lecture demonstration that is free and open to the public.Their irresistible energy and fivefold charisma distinguish Borealis in the chamber music field. Audiences love their exquisite programming that includes the finest of the classics, engaging commissions, opera arias, and works for piano and winds.The Washington Post praised their “sensitive collaborations that have a sophisticated and cosmopolitan air.”

Peter G. Davies of the New York Times described one concert as “a polished, elegantly turned performance ... each work received lively, expert, and musicianly treatment by this skilled and exceptionally talented chamber group.” The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, “They demonstrated the sort of rapport that characterizes the very best chamber playing.”Their performance at the Redfern will open with George Onslow’s “Quintet.” Onslow, a highly regarded 19th century composer, was, by no less a music critic than Robert Schumann, considered to be on a par with Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven.

This will be followed by the 20th century French composer and conductor Eugène Bozza’s “Variations sur un thème libre, Op. 42.” After intermission, Borealis will return with Nino Rota’s “Petite Offrande Musicale.” Bozza was an Italian composer best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini. He also composed the music for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Godfather” trilogy.

This will be followed by “Quintet” by Endre Szérvanszky and “Potpourri Fantastico sul Barbiere di Siviglio del Rossini” by Giulio Briccialdi. From Hungary, Szervánszky’s music was strongly influenced by folk music. Briccialdi is a 19th century Italian composer and flutist.

Tickets and information are available at the Redfern Arts Center box office, (603) 358-2168 or online at www.keene.edu/racbp, where you can also view many video clips from the season’s Visiting Artists repertoire. Special memberships with many benefits, including free tickets, are also available at the Redfern box office or online.