On February 4, 2015, District5 Wind Quintet held their first concert of the semester in the Performing Arts and Humanities building’s Linehan Concert Hall. The group’s members consist of Laura Kaufman on the flute, Alison Lowell on the oboe, Eddie Rumzis on the bassoon, Nina Elhassan on the clarinet and Laura Brisson on the horn.

District5 is not new to the music students of UMBC. The group has performed several concerts in UMBC in the past. This time they came back to give a free full-length recital that focused on the wind quintet. Sign-in sheets were given at the entrance to the performing hall for students taking the class who wished to earn extra credit.

The evening began with a composition by Franz Liszt — Transcendental Étude No. 5 “Feux Follets,” District5 introduced themselves to the audience with a bouncy feeling.  The response they received from the audience for their first song was very positive. The audience members sat with wonder and great anticipation, listening enthusiastically.

Next came a composition by Isang Yun’s Wind Quintet, which was met with a boisterous applause from the audience.  The piece was generally simple with more of a focus on clarinets. It was the minimalism that captured the audience’s attention.

Metallaxis by Evis Sammutis was the third piece in the lineup, and it was one of the best of the night. The audience stuck around for more.

Very loud applause was given to the performers at the conclusion despite not having the hugest turnout. Even though not many people came to the concert and almost half of the seats were empty, this did not discourage attendees from enjoying the dramatic performance.

“I came to this concert by my own choice. I enjoyed their show and I think everyone should listen to classical songs like this,” said Morris Spekterman, a junior studying engineering. This was his first time attending a classical music concert. He planned to recommend upcoming performances at UMBC to his friends.

The performance took about an hour and a half. Another big round of applause was given to District5 members at the end of the night; many stood up to cheer. District5 might be a newcomer’s musical group but they have left a memorable performance to the people who attended.

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