5th Floor is an adventurous wind quintet that takes great joy in bringing standards and hidden gems from the wind quintet literature to a live audience.  Founded in 2019, the ensemble specializes in works by living composers and music that captures the rich range of human experience. The group has performed around DMV region including at the Georgetown Farmers’ Market, the Rock Creek Chamber series, and private events such as house concerts. 

The members of 5th Floor balance their multifaceted careers with life as classically trained freelance musicians. 

• Flutist Eric Abalahin works at The Brookings Institution by day and can be seen performing with large ensembles such as the Washington Sinfonietta and the Capital Wind Symphony. 
• Oboist Laurel Kuxhaus was recently a Program Officer in The Common Fund at the NIH and is the principal oboe of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. 
• Clarinetist Chris Epinger has worked at the NIH Clinical Center for 22 years and can frequently be found in the pit orchestra of regional musical theatre productions and performs with both the NIH Philharmonia and the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. 
• Bassoonist Nancy Switkes teaches private woodwind instruction and can be found on stage regularly with the Piedmont Symphony and the Olney Theatre. 
• Horn player Jim McIntyre is a technology director at Sage Communications and performs with both the Washington Sinfonietta and the Symphony of the Potomac.