The Lyrique Quintette's new album, "Arrivals and Departures: Music of the Americas," is an exciting representation of one of the quintet's main missions: to find, commission, perform, record and promote excellent new music by outstanding composers. The Americas have a rich and eclectic tradition of music. In this collection, the Lyrique Quintette presents a variety of music from across the American continents, including composers from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, and Cuba. Showing a diversity of compositional style, these composers offer music based on folk songs, jazz tunes, dances, and even ancient plainchant. Through instrumental synthesis and contrast, intense rhythmic vitality, contrapuntal complexity, expressive lyricism, and vivid timbres, the fascinating cultural array of compositions from the Americas is revealed. The Lyrique Quintet has performed throughout the United States and abroad, including tours to Spain, Thailand, Germany, and Canada. They have been invited guests at numerous national and international music conferences and festivals. The ensemble is dedicated to commissioning and premiering works by contemporary composers. Formed in 1990, the quintet has maintained an active performance schedule. The group tours through the Mid-America Arts Alliance roster and the touring roster of the Arkansas Arts Council.