Description
The Sunnyfield Duo performs some of the world’s most loved songs on their unusual but beautiful combination of instruments. Amy Barwan plays oboe and English Horn on which she interprets melodies from Oscar-winning films, famous operas, and Grammy-winning pop artists. Amy is accompanied by her husband, Joe Sonnefeldt on vibraphone which he plays using a fascinating 4 mallet technique. They share interesting facts and anecdotes about both the music and their instruments in a program that is enjoyable and informative for all ages.
“Unforgettable Melodies” is a program to remember and The Sunnyfield Duo will leave you with both a new appreciation for these songs and an expanded knowledge of their unique instruments!
Work Sample
This duo arrangement of “Kiss From A Rose” from the film Batman Forever was recorded in Feb. 2021. It is 4:19 in length and is one of several award-winning songs from movies included in our program of “Unforgettable Melodies”. It features the oboe with vibraphone.
This is our duo arrangement of “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” featuring the English Horn. It was recorded in April, 2021 and is 5 min long. The song was made famous by Barbara Streisand and is one of several songs from the great American songbook included in our program, “Unforgettable Melodies.”
This original arrangement of “Greensleeves” was recorded in Dec., 2020. It is an example of some of the traditional/classical repertoire included in our program, “Unforgettable Melodies”. It is 3:16 in length.
Our program, “Unforgettable Melodies” includes famous songs from 3 main genres: Film scores, opera/classical, and award-winning popular songs. We submitted a work sample from each of these categories.
History
Amy Barwan (oboe & English horn) and Joe Sonnefeldt (vibraphone) are a husband/wife duo who both play unusual instruments. Amy & Joe were married during the COVID shutdown of 2020-21 and began playing together to pass the time. They selected the most beautiful and familiar melodies for Amy to interpret on her double reed instruments and arranged them to be played with vibraphone accompaniment. They gave their first socially-distanced performances on their front driveway for their neighbors during the shutdown. Since then, they have presented their program, “Unforgettable Melodies” in coffee shops, senior living communities and libraries. The name of the their duo, “The Sunnyfield Duo” is taken from Joe’s German surname, Sonnefeldt which translates to “sunny field”.
Artistic Vision
Our vision is to introduce our unique instruments in combination with a program that is accessible to audiences of a wide range in both age and musical literacy. We perform songs that are both well-known and fairly sophisticated in their composition and share interesting information about the songs and their composers. At the same time, we teach our audiences about our instruments and the special sonic and physical characteristics which set them apart from more common instruments.
Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise
Our program is suitable for all audiences because everyone knows at least a few of the songs we present. In addition, people of all ages find our instruments to be unique and are always curious to learn about them and how they work. Amy received her BA in Music Education from DePaul University and Joe has more than 25 years of experience teaching music to school-aged children.
Name
The Sunnyfield Duo
Type
Company/Ensemble
Address
715 N. Fairview Ave
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
Contact Person
Joe Sonnefeldt
[email protected]
847.477.5438
Web Site
Artistic Discipline(s)
Music
- Solo/Recital
Geographic Availability
Central Illinois
Chicago/Chicagoland
Northern Illinois
Western Illinois
Fee Ranges
$250-$650
Additional Services
Demonstrations
Master classes
Core Audience(s)
Adult
Children
Seniors
Youth