ITF 2008 : Artists : American Brass Quintet

Artists

American Brass Quintet

Currently in its forty-eighth season, the American Brass Quintet has been internationally recognized as one of the premiere chamber music ensembles of our time. The ABQ's rich history includes performances in Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and all fifty of the United States; a discography of over fifty recordings; the premieres of over one-hundred contemporary brass works, and in the last decade, mini-residencies that have brought the ABQ's chamber music expertise to countless young musicians and institutions worldwide. ABQ commissions by Samuel Adler, Bruce Adolphe, Daniel Asia, Jan Bach, Robert Beaser, William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Jacob Druckman, Eric Ewazen, Anthony Plog, Huang Ruo, Steven Sacco, David Sampson, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Ralph Shapey, Melinda Wagner, and Charles Whittenberg, are considered among the most significant contributions to the modern brass quintet repertoire. In the last two seasons, the ABQ has premiered new works by Robert Dennis, Robert Maggio, Paul Moravec, David Sampson, Adam Schoenberg, and Joan Tower, and released three new recordings: In Gabrieli's Day (the music of 16th century Venice), Cheer Boys Cheer (volume two of civil war brass music of the 26th N.C. Regimental Band), and Jewels (ABQ concert favourites). This season the ABQ will premiere and tour a new work for brass quintet and piano by Grammy-winning composer-pianist Billy Childs commissioned for the ABQ by a grant from the New York State Music Fund, and will begin work on four new brass quintets from emerging composers supported by a multi-year grant from the Jerome Foundation.

Equally committed to the promotion of brass chamber music through education, the American Brass Quintet has been in residence at The Juilliard School since 1987 and at the Aspen Music Festival since 1970. Many young ensembles, including the Extension Ensemble, Manhattan Brass Quintet, and the Meridian Arts Ensemble have worked with the ABQ through these residencies, and gone on to establish their own presence in the brass chamber music field. Since 2001 the ABQ has offered its expertise in chamber music performance and training with a program of mini-residencies as part of its regular touring season. Designed to offer young groups and individuals an intense chamber music experience over several days, ABQ mini-residencies have been embraced by schools and communities throughout the United States and internationally.

Through its acclaimed performances, diverse programming, commissioning, extensive discography and educational mission, the ABQ has created a legacy unparalleled in the brass field. Hailed as "the high priests of brass" by Newsweek, "positively breathtaking" by the New York Times, and "of all the brass quintets, the most distinguished" by the American Record Guide, the American Brass Quintet has clearly defined itself among the elite chamber music ensembles of our time.

Raymond Mase, trumpet

Trumpeter Raymond Mase enjoys a diverse career as soloist, chamber artist, orchestral player, and teacher. As a member of the American Brass Quintet since 1973, he has performed worldwide, premiered countless new works for brass, and has appeared with the quintet on over twenty-five recordings. he has contributed his own editions of 16th, 17th, and 19th century brass music on many of the ABQ recordings and was instrumental in the group's recordings using 19th century instruments. He is also a founding member of the New York Cornet and Sacbut Ensemble and the Summit Brass.

As soloist, he has appeared with the American Composers Orchestra, Boston Pops, Moscow Soloists, Naumberg Orchestra, New York Virtuosi, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Summit Brass, and the Bethlehem Bach and Aspen Music Festivals, and with numerous regional orchestras throughout the U.S. He appeared with the American Composers Orchestra in March of 1994 at Carnegie hall for the premiere of David Sampson's Triptych (written for Mase) which received stunning critical praise. Henri Lazarof's Summit Concertante, also written for Mase, was premiered with the Summit Brass in 1996 and recorded in June of 1997. He is featured as soloists on recordings by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Summit Brass, the contemporary music group Parnassus, and on two solo compact discs entitled Trumpet in our Time and Trumpet Vocalise. As recitalist, he has been heard nationally with the popular trumpet and organ duo Toccatas & Flourishes.

Mr. Mase serves as co-principal trumpeter of the New York City Ballet Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic, and has performed and recorded with many New York based ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre, Speculum Musicae, Orpheus and Music Sacra. He is the Chairman of the Brass Department at The Juilliard School and also serves on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival. He can be heard on over 100 recordings and as soloist on the Deutsche Grammophon, Summit, Koch, Cambria and MHS labels.

Kevin Cobb, trumpet

Kevin Cobb joined the American Brass Quintet in the fall of 1998 and with that appointment also became a faculty member of The Juilliard School and the Aspen Music Festival. He is also currently serving as faculty at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and at SUNY Stony Brook. Originally from Bowling Green, Ohio, his first solo appearance was at age fifteen with the Toledo Symphony. After attending Interlochen Arts Academy, he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Frank Kaderabek; he continued studies at The Juilliard School earning a Master of Music degree as a student of Mark Gould. Since his days at Curtis, Mr. Cobb has enjoyed touring and performing in Asia, Central America and Europe, as well as in the U.S. In New York, Mr. Cobb leads a diverse career and is regularly active with many of New York’s top organizations. He can frequently be heard in radio and television commercials and has recorded over eight CDs with the ABQ alone. His first solo CD entitled, "One" released by Summit Records, features an all American program of unaccompanied trumpet solos.

Kevin Cobb's Home Page

David Wakefield, horn

While still a doctoral student at The Juilliard School, David Wakefield became a member of the American Brass Quintet and joined the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival. Recently observing his 29th year with the American Brass Quintet, he now serves on the horn and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School, and has played thousands of concerts all over the world in a career notable for its depth and variety.

He has performed as a member of the Quintet throughout North and South American, Europe, the Far East and at such distinguished international festivals as Shiraz in Iran, Edinburgh in Scotland, Casals in Puerto Rico and Nagoya in Japan. He has performed on radio and TV around the world, including nationally televised performances attended by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. And as a member of the American Brass Quintet, he was one of the first American brass players invited since the Cultural Revolution to teach and perform in the Peoples Republic of China.

Principal horn of the Aspen Festival Orchestra, and the Little Orchestra Society, he was also principal horn with Concordia: A Chamber Symphony, P.D.Q. Bach, and the Joffrey Ballet. In addition, he has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, Houston Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera, and Orpheus Chamber Ensemble, St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, New York City Ballet, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and Opera Orchestra of New York. He has also performed extensively on Broadway and in commercial recordings.

A passionate advocate of new music, Mr. Wakefield has premiered over 250 new works. He has worked closely with such composers as Elliott Carter, Jacob Druckman, Charles Wuorinen, Milton Babbitt, David Sampson, Eric Ewazen, Ellen Taafe Zwilich, William Schuman, Virgil Thomson, Luciano Berio, Robert Starer, William Bolcom, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Hans Abrahamsen, Shulamit Ran, and George Tsontakis. As a member of The Music Project, Parnassus, the New Music Consort, and the Princeton Contemporary Players, he has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, RCA, Columbia Records, Nonesuch, New World, Crystal, Japan Victor, Delos, CRI, and Opus One Records.

Michael Powell, trombone

Michael Powell is one of the most sought after trombonists in New York City. Since 1983, Mr. Powell has been a member of the celebrated American Brass Quintet. He performs and records regularly with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Little Orchestra Society, The Zankel Band, Speculum Musicae, and Aspen Festival Orchestra. Mr. Powell has performed as soloist with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, Kansas City Philharmonic, the Aspen Music Festival, and the New Hampshire Music Festival. He has performed on Broadway and records for radio, television, and movies. He frequently appears with such diverse ensembles as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Centre, Music Today, Musical Elements, the Classical Band, and P.D.Q. Bach. From 1978 to 1982 he was principal trombonist of the Kansas City Philharmonic. He has taught master classes in trombone and chamber music all over the world. Mr. Powell premiered and recorded the Sonata for Trombone and Piano by Eric Ewazen, with the composer as pianist, on the Well-Tempered label. He is on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, SUNY at Stony Brook, and the Aspen Music School.

Michael Powell's Home Page