Empire_Brass
Empire Brass is a brass quintet from the United States. The group was founded in 1971. The original members met at Tanglewood Music Center (in Lenox, Massachusetts) in 1970.[1]
Empire Brass | |
|---|---|
Empire Brass performing in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
The quintet chose its name after performing in New York City.[1] (New York is the Empire State.) They continue to tour regularly in North America, Europe, and Asia. They have been the Faculty Quintet-in-Residence at Boston University since 1976.[2]
The Empire Brass have appeared on Good Morning America, Today Show and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.[3] They also make joint concert appearances with organist Douglas Major.[4]
As of May 2015, its members include:
- Derek Lockhart, trumpet
- Eric Berlin, trumpet
- Victor Sungarian, French horn
- Greg Spiridopoulos, trombone
- Kenneth Amis, tuba
Previous members include:
- Rolf Smedvig, trumpet, founder; died April 27, 2015[1]
- Sam Pilafian, tuba, founder; died April 5, 2019.[5]
- Russian Brass (1977)
- Baroque Brass (1977)
- Empire Brass Quintet and Friends - American Brass Band Journal (1978)
- Renaissance Brass (1979)
- Broadway Brass (1980)
- Empire Brass Quintet (Hovhaness, Hindemith, Bohme, Dvorak) (1980)
- The Empire Brass Plays Annie (1981)
- Pachelbel: Kanon & Other Baroque Favorites (1982)
- A Bach Festival (1986)
- Joy to the World, Music of Christmas (1988)
- Empire Brass plays Bernstein, Gershwin & Tilson Thomas (1988)
- Fireworks (1988)
- Class Brass (1989)
- Music of Gabrieli (1989)
- Music for Organ, Brass & Percussion (1990)
- Royal Brass: Music from Renaissance & Baroque (1990)
- Braggin' in Brass (1991)
- Romantic Brass (1992)
- On Broadway (1992)
- Class Brass - On the Edge (1993)
- Mozart for Brass (1993)
- Passage (1994)
- The World Sings: An Empire Brass Christmas (1996)
- King's Court and Celtic Fair (1996)
- Greatest Hits (1997)
- Class Brass: Firedance (1999)
- The Glory of Gabrieli (2002)
- Baroque Music for Brass and Organ (2003)
- A Bach Festival for Brass & Organ (2005)
- "Rolf Smedvig, 62; virtuoso trumpeter who cofounded renowned brass quintet". Boston Globe. May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- Wise, Brian (April 28, 2015). "Rolf Smedvig, Trumpeter Who Founded Empire Brass, Dies at 63". WQXR-FM. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
The quintet was a co-winner of the Naumberg Chamber Music Award in 1976 and had also begun a long-term residency at Boston University.
- Woodstra, Chris; Brennan, Gerald; Schrott, Allen (2005). All Music Guide to Classical Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 417. ISBN 9780879308650.
- Acton, Nancy (April 21, 2006). "Major weekend treat for organ music lovers". The Royal Gazette. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- Sandomir, Richard (April 12, 2019). "Sam Pilafian, Tuba Maestro of Multiple Genres, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
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