WEST TEXAS WINDS, PERMIAN BASIN STRING QUARTET & FRIENDS

WEST TEXAS WINDS, PERMIAN BASIN STRING QUARTET & FRIENDS
Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 5:00 pm
Rea-Greathouse Recital Hall at WNPAC

Lyndsay Eiben, flute
Caryn Crutchfield, oboe
Chris Chance, clarinet
Philip Hill, bassoon
Derek Wright, horn
Turner Partain, violin
Gabriella St. James, violin
Conrad Sclar, viola
Nick Pascucci, cello
Jaclyn Hastings, bass

Nonet in Eb major, Op. 38
Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)

           Adagio-Allegro
           Andante con moto
           Scherzo
           Adagio-Allegro

Louise Farrenc was a celebrated composer, pianist and educator during her lifetime. Born into a Parisian family of sculptors, she studied piano under Moscheles and Hummel, and composition under Anton Reicha. Her fame spread at least as far as Germany, where Robert Schumann admired her piano compositions. She became professor of piano studies at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire, and demanded and received equal pay with her male colleagues after the success of the work on tonight’s program, her Nonet, which premiered with the renowned Joseph Joachim playing the violin part. Yet after her death she became virtually unknown until the beginning of the 21st Century, when her music began once again to be performed and now recorded.

Though she wrote a good deal of music for piano plus three symphonies that are beginning to be rediscovered, along with some vocal music, she is best known at present for her chamber music, including two piano quintets and the 1849 Nonet. Written for woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn), violin, viola, cello and string bass, the work is in four movements, following the model set for both symphony and string quartet by Joseph Haydn. (Duration about 32 minutes.)

The first movement begins with a richly scored Adagio introduction in which the clarinet is prominent at first but the violin takes the spotlight as it leads us into the main Allegro section. In sonata form, the movement has a surging 3⁄4-time rhythm, not unlike that of Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony’s first movement (also in Eb major, though quite considerably stormier). Farrenc keeps the pulse going as she plays winds against strings, then interweaves them in intricate patterns.

The slow movement (not very slow: a graceful Andante con moto) is a set of variations on a theme that is heard in two 8-bar phrases, each repeated. The violin introduces the theme itself, while the oboe is prominent during the first of the variations. Violin and viola lead the second variation with 32nd-note embellishments. The third features the woodwind quintet alone for the most part, led by the bassoon. The horn predominates in the fourth variation, which takes on a march-like quality. Then, after a dramatic pause, the tempo switches to a 6/8 Allegretto for the playful final variation.

The Scherzo (marked Vivace) has a swirling, mysterious quality as rising and falling phrases are passed from pizzicato strings to the winds. The horn plays a more robust melody at one point, but the agitated pulse never ceases—until the slower Trio section.

Here, oboe and clarinet offer a waltzlike melody against a viola accompaniment. The tempo picks up again for the return of the Scherzo section, which quietly trails off in the last bars.

The Finale, like the first movement, begins with an Adagio introduction, but a brief one, with an oboe cadenza taking us into the lively main section (Allegro). Now the violin introduces the playful main theme, repeated by the clarinet. Other themes are passed about from instrument to instrument as this sonata-form movement unfolds. The development section takes on a minor-key moodiness, but eventually the clarinet brings back the cheerful main theme. After additional fresh interplay among the nine instruments, the Nonet comes to a vigorous close.

–Joe Milicia

Quintet in F major, K.497
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Arr. Robert Stallman (1946-2019)

           Adagio-Allegro di moto
           Andante
           Allegro

In 1990, during an intense rehearsal of a Mozart Quartet transcription for flute and strings by Franz Anton Hoffmeister, at the Marblehead Summer Music Festival, a disgruntled violist friend complained about Hoffmeister's awkward string writing, suddenly daring me to create my own arrangement. I balked. But the following winter--despite scruples about treading on hallowed ground--I grew curious and began to experiment. Soon I was hooked on the challenge of learning to speak Mozart's language with conviction. This fascination, encouraged by pianist Richard Goode and other Mozarteans, would eventually generate a total of thirty-nine recreations of Mozart piano sonatas as works for flute and strings. With zero tolerance for alteration of melodic or harmonic material--Mozart's friend Hoffmeister had regrettably attempted such "improvements"--I always tried to envision what Mozart himself would have desired. Many of the sonatas can be heard as if they were Mozart's "blueprints" of imagined chamber works. Hence my task was to "flesh out" the keyboard versions as Mozart might have done, had a commission or performance opportunity arisen. I spent hours pondering how Mozart might have set these sonatas in four- or five-part form, providing the needed textural or contrapuntal enhancements. With immersion in the composer's dialect, various apt solutions presented themselves. The search for the "right" one then became a most absorbing study. On the eve of releasing my Bogner's Cafe recording of Mozart-Stallman New Quintets (2006), I discovered to my delight that a prominent scholar had long before endorsed such an effort. Eric Blom (1888-1959), author of Mozart (1935), had taken note of the four-hand piano works as "a kind of keyboard chamber music." Regarding Sonata, K. 497, Mr. Blom had observed that Mozart is often dealing with, not the expected four voices (one to a hand), but five. Blom states: "The F major Sonata (K. 497) removes us to another world--the world of the great chamber music, especially of the string quintets. Indeed an arrangement of some sort for a combination of instruments would make a magnificent concert work of this almost uncomfortably great piece of domestic music." That Mozart was in 1786 writing for piano duo from a quintet perspective makes sense, as we find him returning to the quintet form with keen interest in his last years, writing four String Quintets, the Clarinet Quintet, rearranging a wind serenade for String Quintet, and leaving several other quintets incomplete. My arrangement presented here is made for flute and strings but is also intended for string quintet. Quintet in F Major for Flute and Strings, K. 497, was completed in 1999 and performed with the Martinu Quartet in the Czech Republic prior to recording it in 2004. Mozart had finished the original Sonata in F Major for Piano, Four-Hands, K. 497, on August 1, 1786. It shows the unmistakable influence of Figaro, completed and premiered exactly three months prior. As signaled by the imposing introductory Adagio, the conception is on a grand symphonic scale, all three movements being richly developed with contrapuntal episodes and an abundance of marvelously contrasting textures and themes throughout. Called "the crowning work of its kind" by Alfred Einstein, the Sonata is laden with examples of Mozart's mercurial originality. Here we have a perfect synthesis of concertante brilliance, operatic intensity and intimate dialogue. The work opens in unison with a probing, minor-tinged Adagio, whose question comes to a pause on the dominant, before being answered with jaunty certainty by the opening theme of the Allegro di molto--an F-major tune as sunny and confident as an aria from Figaro itself. This movement's declamatory "opera chorus" persistently intones its rhythmic motto over a swirling scale figure. The amorous second theme (initially presented in the first viola) also seems to be plucked from Figaro. The Andante opens with a heavenly melody, which takes as its springboard the Romanza theme from the Horn Concerto in E-flat Major, K. 495, written only five weeks before. The "love duet" between flute and first viola seems to anticipate the impassioned "duetting" between violin and viola in the Andante of the String Quintet in C Major, K. 515, written about nine months later. The ingenious stretto canon of the Andante's middle section requires the precision of a Swiss clock (which its chiming thirds recall). Affecting bucolic codettas close each of the main sections of the movement. In the final Allegro, a rondo in 6/8 time, the puckish, yet aristocratic character of the opening theme contrasts with the bumptious, popular tune used for the second theme (heard first in the violin and then the flute, over pizzicato cello). Lilting hymn-like episodes in three, four- and finally five-part counterpoint are repeatedly interrupted by startling scale figures that rise up in furioso episodes throughout the movement. As in the "Swiss clock" section of the Andante, Mozart uses a stretto imitation treatment with this tempest theme, thereby heightening both intensity and sense of instability. I am most grateful to the adventuresome Martinu Quartet for their warm support and collaboration over the years with several of my arrangements, and to my friend Edwin Swanborn for the original typesetting of this score. Gratitude is also due Weekend Edition, Performance Today and innumerable classical stations across the United States for their enthusiastic and repeated airings of my "new" Mozart Quintet endeavors--and most of all, to violist Katherine Murdock for that dare in 1990.

–Compiled from the writings of Robert Stallman by Hannah Woods Stallman, February 2, 2020.

Dixtuor for Wind Quintet and String Quartet
Jean Françaix (1912-1997)

          Larghetto tranquillo-Allegro
          Andante
          Scherzando
          Allegro moderato

Jean Françaix came from a musical family and took up composing at the age of six. He became a favourite pupil of Nadia Boulanger, and his youthful gifts were also recognised by Ravel. During the 1930s, his output included chamber music, orchestral pieces, ballets, the opera Le diable boiteux and an oratorio, L’Apocalypse selon Saint Jean. After World War Two, Françaix continued to produce a stream of new works, including several film scores. His style remained neo-classical, usually marked by a lightness of touch and wit.

The Dixtuor, for string quintet and wind quintet, is one of his last major works, the manuscript dated at the end 24 October 1986. It was a commission for the Cologne-based Linos Ensemble which gave the premiere in 1987. The Dixtuor
opens with a long, gentle introduction which gives way to a vigorous Allegro. The lyrical Andante opens with a melody shared by oboe and clarinet (over strings) before the rest of the ensemble join gradually. Marked Scherzando, the third movement makes virtuoso demands on the players, but it is music of genuine charm, with a slow (and endearingly odd) central Trio section. The finale is a brisk Allegro.

Gabriella St. James

Gabriella St. James

Gabriella St. James is proud and honored to be working with the West Texas Symphony and Permian String Quartet, as their principal 2nd violin. Not only does Gabriella perform with the West Texas Symphony, she teaches at West Texas Conservatory, under the leadership of Maia Cook and is joining the staff at UTPB where she is an adjunct professor. She also works at Milam Elementary where she teaches Suzuki Pedagogy from Kindergarten to 5th grade.
Performing with orchestra’s, Mrs. St. James was a member of several orchestras including Newark Symphony, Williamsport Symphony, Altoona Symphony, Binghamton Symphony, Firelands Symphony and Mansfield Symphony where she also was the principle of 2nd violin.
Mrs. St. James has toured throughout the United States and abroad, performing in several well-known locations and dignitaries including 400th Anniversary of Jamestown with President Bush attending, President Donald Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago for his butterfly ball, Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and also in Columbia performing in Columbia ‘jewel of architecture’, the Salt Cathedral.
Mrs. St. James holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Delaware where she studied with Xiang Gao. She also holds two Masters; the first from Pennsylvania State University, majoring in music performance, and studied under Max Zorin and James Lyon, and the second masters at Ithaca College, with a double concentration in Suzuki Pedagogy and music performance under Carrie Reuning-Hummel and Calvin Wiersma.
In Mrs. St. James spare time, she loves cooking and trying out new recipes, hiking, reading, spending time with her family and traveling. She currently has a toddler who keeps her very busy, and one day excited for him to learn how to play the violin.
Conrad Sclar

Conrad Sclar

Dr. Conrad Sclar is proud to be the principal violist for the West Texas Symphony, and the Permian Basin String Quartet. Conrad has performed chamber and orchestral music throughout the United States from the Front Range of Colorado to the East Coast. Recent international performances include Saarburg International Music Festival in Germany and Siena International Music Program in Italy.
Conrad regularly commissions and premieres new compositions, and has performed in the Pendulum New Music Series and National Sawdust performing arts organization and venue in Brooklyn. Summer festivals include the Aspen Music Festival, the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and the Rocky Ridge Music Festival, studying with Dr. Cathy Carroll-Lees, Stephen Wyrczynski, Karen Ritscher, Rictor Noren, and Dr. Dan Sweaney.
Conrad received his Master’s degree in 2017 from the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Karen Ritscher. While in Manhattan, he performed at St. John the Divine Cathedral, was awarded first prize in the Lillian Fuchs Chamber Competition, and played in multiple recitals, orchestral concerts, and operas. Conrad then went to the University of Colorado, where he served as a Viola Studio Graduate Assistant. He designed and taught viola technique class, taught lessons, and supported undergraduate theory courses. In 2020, he received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree, studying with Erika Eckert and Geri Walther.
Committed to excellence in the education of young musicians, Conrad is continually involved in the fields of teaching and learning. He is excited to be teaching courses and lessons at UTPB. He is a Member of the American Viola Society, the Association of String Teachers of America, and the Texas Music Educators Association. Conrad was also selected to present at the American Viola Society conference in the summer of 2020.
When not performing, practicing, or teaching, Conrad also enjoys cooking, traveling, sailing, and spending time with family. His Grandparents, as residents of Midland in the 1950’s and current residents of Houston, are excited to have more family in Texas. Conrad is looking forward to building a Viola Studio in his new home in West Texas!
Nick Pascucci

Nick Pascucci

From Oyster Bay, NY, Nicholas Pascucci began playing cello at age 6. He studied with André Emelianoff at Juilliard Pre-College and made his solo debut at age 15 with the Island Symphony Orchestra. Nicholas graduated from Harvard College, where he received a B.A. in Economics with a secondary in Music and was a member of the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra. He studied with Amit Peled at the Peabody Institute and earned his Master of Music in Cello Performance and a Graduate Performance Diploma. At Peabody, he was a member of the Conductor’s Quintet and principal cellist of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Concert Orchestra, and Peabody Opera Theater.
Nicholas is currently the principal cellist of both the West Texas Symphony and the Amarillo Symphony. He is also the cellist in the Permian Basin String Quartet that performs in Midland, TX. In the past, Nicholas has been principal cello for the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Opera Society in D.C. He also played cello in the Mount Vernon Virtuosi in Baltimore, MD and the New Orchestra of Washington, and was a substitute cellist in both the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra.
In the summer, Nicholas is the assistant principal cellist of the New American Sinfonietta at the Hamptons Festival of Music. He is also a substitute cellist in the Lancaster Festival Orchestra that performs in Lancaster, Ohio. As a student, he previously attended summer festivals including the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, and Puerto Piano and Strings.
Nicholas is highly devoted to philanthropy and has worked with numerous charity organizations. In 2023, he organized and performed a recital for Catholic Relief Services that raised over $22,000 for countries in need of disaster relief. Last year, he gave a recital that raised approximately $21,000 for the North Shore Soup Kitchen, a charity that provides meals for the homeless in Glen Cove, NY, a community near his hometown. Nicholas currently plays an English cello made by Thomas Kennedy ca. 1820.
Caryn Crutchfield

Caryn Crutchfield

Caryn Crutchfield, oboe, is beginning her twenty-ninth season with the West Texas Symphony.
She earned both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Oboe Performance from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX, where she studied under Robert Krause. Caryn had the honor of serving as the guest soloist with the West Texas Symphony in 2012 and 2021. She has performed three times at the Texas Music Educators’ Association Convention and twice with the WTAMU Director’s Band at the Texas Bandmasters’ Association Convention. Additionally she serves on the Alumni Board for WTAMU and the WTAMU Band Alumni Board. In addition to her symphonic work, she regularly plays as a member of the West Texas Winds woodwind quintet.
In August 2024, Caryn assumed the position of the Fine Arts Coordinator for Midland ISD. She also teaches at The University of Texas at Permian Basin and the West Texas A&M Band Camp. Caryn offers private lessons to students across the Permian Basin and runs a successful reed-making business. She is married to Kevin and has three children.
Chris Chance

Chris Chance

Chris Chance enjoys a varied performing career as an orchestral clarinetist, chamber musician, and concert soloist.

He is currently Principal Clarinet of the West Texas Symphony, Principal Clarinet of the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, clarinetist of the West Texas Winds woodwind quintet, and performs often with the New Mexico Philharmonic. Chris has
performed with other orchestras across North America, including Arizona Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Lubbock Symphony, and the Orquesta Sinfónica UANL of Monterrey, Mexico. In addition to live performance, he has also worked as a recording studio musician for the Hal Leonard Corporation.

Chris received a Bachelor of Music degree, a Performer Diploma, and the Performer's Certificate from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Philip Hill

Philip Hill

Philip Hill is Principal Bassoon of the West Texas Symphony and Bassoonist of West Texas Winds woodwind quintet. He earned his Master’s degree in Music Performance at the University of Arizona. During his time at UArizona, he studied with William Dietz, and he was bassoonist in the Fred Fox Graduate Wind Quintet and the Opera and Theater program. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at East Carolina University. There he studied the bassoon under Christopher Ulffers. He performed at times with the ECU Opera, which is known for performing a wide variety of works from the standards of Mozart to world premieres. As part of the North Carolina New Music Initiative, Philip participated in many premieres and new music projects. Most notable is his performance in the world premiere and recording of Travis Alford’s Loose Strands for chamber wind ensemble. He also made an appearance with the North Carolina Symphony. Philip toured Europe in 2010 as part of the Virginia Ambassadors of Music, then returned to Europe in 2017 as a member of the Prague Summer Nights Festival Orchestra. Philip has also performed with the Bay View Chamber Music Festival and Opera in The Ozarks Orchestra. He was a featured soloist with the West Texas Symphony in 2023, performing Weber's Bassoon Concerto in F Major, Op. 75.
Along with his performance history, Philip has been an active educator. He holds a small private teaching studio in the Permian Basin and was a resident artist at the University of Idaho, Youth Orchestras of Lubbock, and Midland Montessori School. He was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas Permian Basin, teaching bassoon and chamber music. His Instagram and YouTube pages, @Bassoonatlarge, include tutorials on reed making and music for TMEA auditions. Finally, he has been a frequent clinician for auditions, rehearsals, and masterclasses, and has hosted masterclasses for TMEA audition preparation with the help of his great colleagues in the West Texas Symphony, Cassatt in the Basin, and other guest artists across the country.
Philip spends his free time cooking, playing frisbee, and doing anything related to soccer. He is a Financial Services Certified Professional® and helps businesses and families with insurance, investments, and succession.
Lyndsay Eiben

Lyndsay Eiben

Dr. Lyndsay Eiben, flute, is the principal flute with the West Texas Symphony.
As a native of Odessa, Lyndsay has performed as a substitute flutist with the WTS for many years with her first appointment being while she was in high school.

Lyndsay studied music at West Texas A&M University where she received a Bachelor of Music Performance in 2008 and a Master of Music Performance in 2010. During her tenure at WTAMU, Lyndsay was Associate Principal of the Amarillo Symphony, Amarillo Opera and performed with the Amarillo Little Theatre. She also worked as a private flute instructor for the Canyon and Randall County Independent School Districts. In 2010, Lyndsay was accepted into the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to pursue a doctorate in music. While in Ohio, Lyndsay performed with many professional groups such as Cincinnati Landmark
Productions, the Showboat Majestic Theater, and the Covedale Center for
Performing Arts. Lyndsay has also been a finalist for national flute competitions such as Myrna Brown and the National Flute Association Young Artist competition.

Lyndsay moved back to Odessa in August of 2013 to pursue a career in teaching band. She spent ten years teaching in ECISD at both Nimitz Middle School and Permian High School. Lyndsay’s students have earned admission into the 6A TMEA All-State Bands and have earned superior ratings at solo and ensemble competitions. Lyndsay serves as Director of Bands, Flute Professor, and Director of Music Education at the University of Texas Permian Basin. She holds professional memberships in the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and the National Flute Association.
Derek Wright

Derek Wright

Dr. Derek J. Wright is an accomplished hornist based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. He performs as Third Horn with the award-winning Dallas Winds and as Section Horn with both the West Texas Symphony and the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, he has appeared with major ensembles including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, and
Amarillo Symphony, where he previously served as Fourth Horn. His orchestral experience spans a wide range of repertoire, from symphonic masterworks to contemporary compositions, and includes collaborations with leading conductors and soloists throughout Texas and beyond. Beyond his performing career, Dr. Wright is Co-Owner of Houghton Horns, a leading brass instrument company based in Keller, Texas. He has played a key role in the design and development of Verus Brass horns and mouthpieces, contributing his expertise in acoustics and performance to the refinement of professional-level instruments. He is also a frequent presenter at universities and conferences, offering lectures and masterclasses on horn design, acoustics, and performance practice. Dr. Wright is a music communicator on the Houghton Horns YouTube channel, where he produces educational videos and livestreams on topics such as horn design, equipment selection, and artistry.
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, a Master of Music degree from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. His principal teachers include William VerMeulen, David Heyde, John Ericson, Herbert Winslow, and Kazimierz Machala .
Turner Partain

Turner Partain

Austin-based violinist Turner Partain enjoys a busy schedule of performances throughout Texas and Oklahoma. His orchestral work includes performances with the symphonies of Austin, Tulsa and San Antonio and he is currently the Assistant Concertmaster of the West Texas Symphony.

He’s performed as a chamber musician with the Austin Chamber Music Center and was also featured on a live broadcast of Houston Public Media. He has also performed in musical theatre, opera, and popular music productions at Austin’s Zach Theatre, Zilker Musical Productions, the Long Center, Bass Performing Arts Center, FAVA Opera, and the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center.

He received a Masters of Music under the guidance of Daniel Ching at the University of Texas and a Bachelors of Music under Kyung Sun Lee at the University of Houston. He has also attended the Round Top Music Festival-Institute, the Aspen Music Festival and the Interlochen Arts Camp. He was formerly on faculty at Victoria College as an adjunct instructor of violin. In addition to his violin career, Turner is a CrossFit Level 1 certified trainer and coaches at North Austin Strong and the Capital Ridge and Parmer Lane Apple campus.

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:
Maridell Fryar
Barbara & Jimmy Leeton
Diann & John McKee
Ann Parish & Betty Ann Prentice

FRIENDS OF WEST TEXAS WINDS
Audie & Bill Brooks
Paul Feit
Maridell Fryar
Ann & Ken Hankins, Jr.
Ann Parish & Betty Ann Prentice
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