Chelsea Now photos by Jefferson Siegel
Left: The Grammy-nominated quintet Imani Winds performs onstage at the start of Saturday’s free concert at the Hudson Guild Beacon on W. 17th St. in Chelsea. Right: Oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz, of Imani Winds, walks among the audience during Saturday’s performance.

By Jefferson Siegel

From 1958 to 1973, the New York Philharmonic, under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, gave a series of Saturday afternoon performances, the Young People’s Concerts. Geared toward youths with blossoming musical interests, the concerts interspersed classical music with Maestro Bernstein’s comments and stories about the music and instruments.

Last Saturday, another concert delighted Chelsea music lovers young and old when the Imani Winds, a Grammy Award–nominated quintet, performed at the Hudson Guild Beacon on W. 17th St. Imani is the Swahili word for “faith.”

The warm, sunny weather seemed almost inconsequential to the dozens of locals and music students who filled the auditorium for the concert.

“You’re supposed to work where you live,” said oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz, explaining why they came to Chelsea. As the quintet’s members opened the afternoon by standing among the audience and, one by one, started playing their wind instruments, it was obvious this was not your father’s Philharmonic.

The afternoon’s eclectic program included “Asheo” by member Valerie Coleman, the “1st Movement” of six bagatelles by Gyorgy Ligeti, “Choro” by Julio Medaglia, “Tomcats” by Luciano Berio and “Libertando” by Astor Piazolla.

In between the selections, each performer gave a brief demonstration and history of their instrument and the music it’s often associated with. Clarinetist Mariam Adam drew laughter and applause as she segued from jazz to classical to a polka.

French Horn player Jeff Scott demystified the horn by explaining why players keep their hand in the ‘bell’ part while playing. Scott said the horn is slightly out of tune and the player modulates the tuning by moving their hand inside the horn while playing.

The quintet closed the performance with the gospel spiritual “Every Time I Feel the Spirit.”

Imani Winds’ next New York appearance will be a groundbreaking performance at the Apollo Theater on June 3 at 4 p.m., where they will play a Josephine Baker concert.

Saturday’s performance was part of the Harmony Program, a not-for-profit organization that trains college and graduate student musicians to teach music to underprivileged young people.

Students in the Harmony program receive musical instruments, instruction, supplies and tickets to cultural events, all at little or no cost.

The objective of the program is to develop a new generation of music students and instructors, while fulfilling a larger social mission of expanding access among underserved communities to music education.

Saturday’s performance was also a presentation of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series, a program that for 25 years has brought a variety of music, free of charge, to neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs of New York City.