Popular Canadian Brass Performs Classics, Tangos and Jazz Feb. 22
February 8, 2006
After more than 60 recordings and thousands of concerts, the Canadian Brass is renowned for its breadth of musical interests, dedication to excellence and relaxed rapport with audiences. The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State presents the much-emulated quintet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
The scheduled program includes classics by J. S. Bach, Mozart, Gabrieli and Bizet; jazz by Fats Waller; tangos by Astor Piazzolla; and a new composition, Santa Barbara Sonata, by Bramwell Tovey.
Section one and two tickets are on sale now at $34 and $27 for an adult; $15 and $10 for a University Park student; and $24 and $17 for a person 18 and younger. For tickets and information, visit www.cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at Eisenhower Auditorium, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; Penn State Tickets Downtown, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; HUB-Robeson Center Information Desk, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays; and Bryce Jordan Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Before the Canadian Brass came into being in Toronto in 1970, the brass quintet was not generally regarded as a serious classical concert ensemble. But the group has exponentially elevated the status of the brass quintet. Today, the quintet tours widely throughout North America, Europe and Japan–often performing with major symphony orchestras.
The musicians are Josef Burgstaller and Justin Emerich, trumpets, Eugene Watts, trombone, Charles Daellenbach, tuba, and Bernhard Scully, French horn.
Back in 1970, only a limited number of traditional works were available for brass ensembles. Since then, the quintet has grown its own repertoire by transcribing, arranging and commissioning more than 200 works. Not content to stay within the boundaries of classical music, the group also performs pieces from the worlds of jazz, popular and contemporary concert music.
When the quintet members are not on stage, they spend much of their time educating up-and-coming musicians. The ensemble is quintet-in-residence at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif. The brass players also created a summer course at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.
The Canadian Brass has appeared on numerous television programs, including The Tonight Show, Today and Evening at Pops. The quintet has also produced eight videos. A recently released DVD, Three Nights with Canadian Brass, highlights the ensemble performing during three decades.
WPSU FM is the media partner for the concert. Artistic Viewpoints, sponsored by the Center for the Performing Arts Community Advisory Council, provides insight from Lisa Bontrager, Penn State School of Music horn professor, and is offered free to interested ticket holders in the Eisenhower Auditorium Conference Room one hour before the performance.
Contact: Laura Sullivan, 814-863-6379