Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church is hosting a special benefit concert by the Sonoran Quintet on Sunday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m. All are invited to attend this musical event; there is no charge for admission, however, donations will be greatfully accepted.
This marks the third year that the Sonoran Quintet has performed a benefit concert at FHPC. This year, all proceeds will support the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale – Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch, providing scholarships for Fountain Hills youth.
The quintet will perform a variety of music, including works by Mozart and Gershwin, as well as a medley of tunes from The Sound of Music. See full program below.
Supporting Our Youth
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale – Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch
The Musicians
Flutist Dianne Winsor holds degrees in Flute Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music. She recently moved to Arizona from Spain, where she served as Principal Flute of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon for 31 years. A longtime member of the National Flute Association, Ms. Winsor performed at the annual NFA Convention in Phoenix in August 2023.
Oboist Patti Backes holds a degree in Music Education/Oboe from the New England Conservatory of Music. Her studies continued as she received a Masters in Education from Connecticut College and a Masters in Oral Traditions from The Graduate Institute. Patti retired in 2017 after a 37 year long career teaching music and performing in chamber groups, orchestras, and pit orchestras in Connecticut. She and her husband moved to Arizona in 2018, first as “snowbirds,” and now as permanent residents.
Chris “Doc” Stewart, Clarinet, is a retired ER doctor from the Mayo Clinic who now performs regularly with his own group as well as several other local groups in the Phoenix area. A multi-instrumentalist, he plays saxophone, flute, and clarinet in a variety of musical genres. His chart-topping recordings include “Phoenix” (2005) and “Code Blue” (2016). Jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote: “The lead alto saxophonist, Dr. Chris Stewart, practices emergency medicine for a living, but leads the reed team flawlessly.” Doc Stewart has recorded with groups and artists such as Louis Bellson, Woody Herman, Wayne Bergeron, Toni Tennille, Matt Catingub, the Phoenix Symphony, and many others. He is also the author of several music books on Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, and Cannonball Adderley.
Bassoonist Marty Haub is a retired math teacher and now plays in several orchestras in the East Valley. He also has been a conductor of the Chandler Symphony and the Scottsdale Philharmonic. In his first two years of college he played in the Scottsdale Community College Band under the direction of our former clarinet player, Bud Sessions.
