Notes in Nature: Mosaic of Miniatures

Notes in Nature: Mosaic of Miniatures – A Wind Quintet Showcase From the Baroque to Space
Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025
7pm – 8:30pm
$35 per person in advance; $40 at the door if seats are available. Reservations required. All tickets final sale. Rain or shine.

Experience this Mosaic of Miniatures, a charming program of wind quintets showcasing music from the Baroque to space. The evening begins with Amy Beach’s serene and lyrical Pastorale, a gentle introduction evoking the tranquil beauty of nature. Following this piece is Malcolm Arnold’s lively Three Sea Shanties, which brings to life the spirited tunes of seafaring life. The program continues with William Grant Still’s Four Miniatures, a captivating suite that explores a rich tapestry of cultural influences, including a cowboy song, a spiritual, and pieces inspired by Peru and Mexico. Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Gavotte and Six Doubles adds a touch of Baroque elegance with dance forms and variations, showcasing the quintet’s virtuosity. After intermission, be transported to the whimsical and colorful world of Darius Milhaud’s La Cheminée du Roi René, a suite inspired by the folk music and historical tales of Provence, France. The evening concludes with Marc Mellits’ dynamic Apollo, a powerful rock-inspired composition celebrating the spirit of the Apollo 11 mission. Join us for an evening filled with vibrant contrasts and musical delights that highlight the versatility and richness of the wind quintet. 

Immerse yourself in a remarkable musical experience at Planting Fields during our newest concert series in collaboration with Long Island Chamber Music: Notes in Nature!  

We invite you to embark on a captivating journey through the works of beloved composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms, whose timeless masterpieces will be celebrated alongside rediscovered gems and exciting contemporary compositions. This series features five concerts, each presenting a unique opportunity to explore the rich landscape of chamber music and brought to life by the passionate performances of exceptional musicians. 

For questions, please contact Lilly McGurk, Stewardship Director at lmcgurk@plantingfields.org 

About the Performers

Hae Jee (Ashley) Cho, flute
Flutist Hae Jee (Ashley) Cho enjoys a multi-faceted career as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. Ashley received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree (2022) at The Stony Brook University. She also holds both Bachelor of Music (2018) and Master of Music degree (2019) as an accelerated student at The Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Carol Wincenc.

An avid orchestral musician, Ashley served as principal flute of the New York String Orchestral Seminar, performing at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, for two consecutive years. She has been heard at the Round Top Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, Norfolk Chamber Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, and the Eastern Music Festival. As principal flute under the baton of David Alan Miller, at the 2017 National Orchestral Institute, Ashley recorded John Harbison’s Symphony No.4. The recording, in partnership with the NAXOS label, became part of the American Classics album and was nominated as “Best Orchestral Performance” for the 2018 GRAMMY awards.
A devoted chamber musician based in New York City area, she has performed in several of New York’s most distinguished museums. As a member of the New Juilliard Ensemble, she has performed in 2017 MoMA Summergarden Series and premiered works by 21st century composers Donald Crockett, Roberto Sierra, and Herbert Vázques. In 2019, Ashley participated in a project with NYC Ballet Choreographic Institute and composer Saad Haddad to premiere a work inspired by the life of Frida Khalo, the Mexican surrealist painter. She was also involved in a virtual recording project with Claire Chase, performing Vijay Iyer’s piece “Five Empty Chambers” in 2020. The recording was premiered live on The Kitchen. As the member of a wind quintet named SOOM, she was featured on WQXR Radio Station’s Midday Masterpiece Series and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Ashley is currently one of Long Island Chamber Music’s (LICM) performing artists and an Outreach Coordinator of New Jersey Flute Society. She maintains a private flute studio in New Jersey and New York City, where she shares her love for the flute with students of all ages.

Lillian Copeland, oboe
A sought-after chamber music and orchestral musician, oboist Lillian Copeland is an active NYC freelancer who performs with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, American Ballet Theater, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and the International Contemporary Ensemble, among others. Lillian holds the position of Principal Oboe with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, CA.
After receiving degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Rice University, Lillian spent eight seasons as Principal Oboe with the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra in Chile. Aside from the diverse opera, ballet, and symphonic repertoire, Lillian performed a variety of chamber music, toured the south of Chile with her woodwind quintet, and collaborated with the Ensamble Filarmónico. A supporter of new music, Lillian premiered new works at the annual Contemporary Music Festival in Santiago.
Lillian has performed as a concerto soloist with the New Baroque Soloists, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and in Chile with both the Philharmonic and the Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Orchestra, where she also held the position of Professor of Oboe.
An avid proponent of music education, Lillian is a faculty member at the Juilliard School Music Advancement Program (MAP), Mannes Prep, and Manhattan School of Music pre-college divisions. She has given masterclasses in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, and maintains a private teaching studio in NYC. Her students have been accepted at major music schools and conservatories across the United States and Europe.
Born in Lexington, VA, Lillian earned her DMA at Rutgers University. Her principal teachers include James Caldwell, Robert Atherholt, and Nathan Hughes.

Alec Manasse, clarinet
Alec Manasse enjoys a lively and varied professional life. As an alum of The Juilliard School, Alec performs regularly with many of New York City’s top ensembles, including the Met Opera, American Ballet Theater, American Symphony Orchestra, and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. He also frequently performs in the orchestra for Sweeney Todd on Broadway. Alec has made solo appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Eastern Festival Orchestra, St. Barts Music Festival Orchestra, the Symphony of Westchester, and others. He participates as a featured guest artist at the Bard Music Festival and regularly tours with the Frisson Ensemble around the United States.

Steven Palacio, bassoon
Dynamic Colombian-American bassoonist Steven Palacio invites audiences to reimagine the classical music concert experience through energetic presentations of the instrumental repertoire, thought-provoking lectures, and experimentation with cross-genre programming. Steven is committed to bringing the works of living composers to life with the commissioning of solo and chamber music repertoire. He has performed with the League of Composers Orchestra and is a member of AXIOM, a new music ensemble that is devoted to performing masterworks of the 20th and 21st centuries. This season, AXIOM will be working with Steve Reich on a performance of Tehillim (1981) that will be featured in a documentary for the BBC.
Steven has held assistant principal bassoon positions with the Georgian Bay Symphony Orchestra (Canada) and the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. As a New York-based musician, he enjoys an active freelance career, making guest appearances with the Symphony Orchestra of the Americas, the St. Jean Baptiste Orchestra, and the League of Composers.
Steven holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School under the direction of Kim Laskowski. He holds an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada) under Frank Morelli, a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs and a Bachelor of Music with honors from The Florida State University under the direction of Jeffrey Keesecker.

Eric Huckins, horn
Eric Huckins is a Long Island-based horn player and music educator passionate about using music to communicate and connect. As a performer known for his “sparkling, crystal clear sound” (Brass Legacy) Eric is a winner of Astral Artist’s 2018 National Auditions becoming the first horn player to be a part of their roster. Eric has performed internationally as a chamber musician, soloist, and with orchestras in Europe, Asia, and across the United States including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Kanye West, New York City Ballet, as Principal Horn of Symphony in C from 2018 – 2022 and in numerous pit orchestras on Broadway. An advocate for expanding and diversifying brass repertoire, Eric regularly arranges and commissions new works, most recently leading a consortium to commission composer, Jeff Scott. Eric’s debut album ‘Drifter’ which features 8 new works for horn was released on Summit Records in April 2021. As a believer in bringing classical music to his local community, Eric is the Executive and Artistic Director of Long Island Chamber Music and Director of Band and Instrumental Music at The Green Vale School. Eric received his Bachelor’s Degree from Curtis Institute of Music and his Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Outside of his musical life, Eric loves spending time with his wife and violinist, Gergana, their dog, Scuttles, and is an avid guacamole enthusiast.

About Long Island Chamber Music 
Long Island Chamber Music (LICM) is a collective of professional musicians that bring classical music to Long Island communities through concerts and educational programs year-round. LICM was founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife musicians Eric Huckins and Gergana Haralampieva alongside composer Nick DiBerardino with the mission of making professional classical music of the highest caliber accessible to Long Island audiences. 
 
LICM performs chamber music at local venues across Long Island including concert halls, parks, libraries, churches, museums, and community centers. LICM works closely with its community partners to create concert programs that are relevant and compelling to audiences. Each concert showcases a variety of instrumentations drawing from LICM’s artist roster of over 20 professional musicians. LICM is strongly committed to programming works and featuring musicians from historically underrepresented communities in the classical music field. 
 
LICM provides a variety of highly interactive educational concerts and residencies in schools, libraries, and community centers that focus on fostering a love and understanding of classical music for all ages. 
 
LICM musicians are all drawn from Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Astral Artists, Concert Artist Guild and several other of the country’s most prominent musical institutions. In addition to being leaders in their art form, LICM musicians are teaching artists, entrepreneurs, and socially-minded advocates for classical music.  

Long Island Chamber Music is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All Long Island Chamber Music programs are made possible through the efforts of our community partners, support from local businesses, and the generosity of the Long Island community. 

By registering for this event, you consent to Planting Fields Foundation photographing and filming during the event. These images may be used for promotional purposes, including social media, on our website, newsletters, grant requests, reports. As it may not be feasible to identify individuals who may wish to opt out, your registration implies your consent to be photographed. If you have any concerns, please contact us at lmcgurk@plantingfields.org