The home studio of bassoonist Nadina Mackie Jackson was one stop on the Ontario CD Launch Tour by a New Brunswick woodwind quintet.
Based in Dieppe, New Brunswick, Ventus Machina’s CD titled, In The Weeds, will be showcased at five other venues across Ontario this fall.
Formed in 2011, Ventus Machina, Latin for “wind machine,” is known on Canada’s east coast for its chamber music concerts and educational concerts in both English and French.
On the quintet’s schedule are an annual summer tour, workshops for students ages 12 to 22 and an adult chamber music retreat. A feature of Symphony New Brunswick’s Virtuoso Series of chamber concerts, Ventas Machina presents three programs each season.
Although classically based, the group performs other genres including jazz, opera, Latin and pop.
Members of Ventus Machina are: Karin Aurell, flute; Christie Goodwin, oboe; James Kalyn, clarinet and saxophone; and Patrick Bolduc, bassoon.
With the recent departure of horn player Ulises Aragon, the quintet was able to obtain the services of Toronto horn player Iris Krizmanic for the Ontario tour.
Aurell, a native of Sweden, was inspired as a child by a seven-year-old flute player she saw on television. At that point she decided, “That’s what I want to do.” After living in Cape Breton and returning to Sweden, Aurell decided to take up permanent residency in New Brunswick. While in Sweden, Aurell was a member of the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra.
“There’s something magical about New Brunswick,” Aurell said. “The rest of the quintet may not agree with me but I’d rather perform there than anywhere else.”
Aurell freelances as a musician playing with Symphony Nova Scotia and the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra. She has released CDs, is an active chamber music performer, teaches flute at the Université de Moncton and Mount Allison University and coaches the flute section of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra.
Originally from Alberta, Goodwin at age nine was challenged by her father, a band teacher, to play the oboe. She took the challenge and began what continues to be a successful career in music.
Goodwin has held positions with the Niagara Symphony, Kitchener- Waterloo Chamber orchestra and the Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra.
She has appeared as a freelance musician with ensembles in Southern Ontario and the Maritimes. Currently, Goodwin plays with Symphony New Brunswick, teaches oboe and piano from her home studio, co-ordinates educational outreach activities for Symphony New Brunswick and Université de Moncton and does occasional music festival adjudication duties.
Goodwin is married to fellow quintet member, Patrick Bolduc.
Kalyn had the desire to play all types of music on every instrument that he could. Kalyn has been playing the clarinet and the saxophone for over 25 years as a soloist and orchestral musician. He is also an international performer, conductor and teacher who teaches saxophone, clarinet and conducting at Mount Allison University.
“Conducting was something that I fell into. I was playing with the Windsor Symphony orchestra and the conductor was unable to make the performance so I volunteered, “ Kalyn said.
“I did a lot of on-the-job training and learned by observation.”
Kalyn plays the role of conductor of the school’s Symphonic Band, Chamber Orchestra and Pep band. He works in China with the Oberlin Conservatory and studies Mandarin.
One of the founding members of Ventus Machina, Bolduc has performed across Canada, United States, Japan and France as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and the Quebec Oboe Band.
The principal bassoonist of Symphony New Brunswick, Bolduc is originally from Quebec, but now resides in New Brunswick. He teaches bassoon at Université de Moncton. As a native Quebecer, Bolduc assists with the French language portion of the quintet’s performances.
“I am employed selling Sports equipment for a large number of Sports equipment companies. There is a good balance for me with Sports and music in my life,“ Bolduc said.
Krizmanic, a Toronto resident, is the principal horn player with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and will perform with the quintet during its Ontario tour.
“I am happy to join with these great colleagues for the tour,” Krizmanic said.
“I’m always on the lookout for diversity in music as I don’t want music to become like work. There must be an element of fun.”
At age six Krizmanic’s mother enrolled her in the Toronto Children’s Chorus and piano lessons.
In high school she decided she wasn’t going to be part of the school choir and the French horn became her choice of musical instrument.
Some of Krizmanic’s accomplishments include performing with the Niagara Symphony, Ontario Philharmonic, Greater Toronto Philharmonic and the Windsor Community Orchestra.
She is also an accomplished singer and plays the cello with Quintagious, a woodwind quintet.
Mackie Jackson and fellow Drayton resident Lucas Rogerson opened the family-friendly event with renditions of their favourite tunes.
Show-goers were taken on a trip around the globe with songs from South America, Latin America, Italy and the United States during Ventus Machina’s performance.
Showcased throughout the evening were selections from the quintet’s CD.
Songs performed included Libertango, Milonga Sin Palabras plus recognizable tunes from the Big Band or Swing era and West Side Story.
Sounds from the piccolo and base flute added to the sound.
“There is a lot of respect between the members of this quintet. We learn so much from each other in the way we individually approach the music, talk about and perform it, making us all richer musicians,” Kalyn said.
“A group where everyone can also play with the symphony orchestra and have a life of their own, even though we all have complicated schedules.”
The evening ended with a standing ovation from the audience.
More information on Ventus Machina can be found at ventusmachina.com.
