Empire Brass
The brass quintet Empire Brass was founded in the early 1970s by graduates of the Tanglewood Institute at the University of Boston. An early friend and supporter of the musicians was Leonard Bernstein ; the two founding members Rolf Smedvig and J. Samuel Pilafian (tuba) performed together at the premiere of the play Mass on September 8, 1971 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The ensemble is regularly touring the world to solo concerts and joint performances with American orchestras, there have been guest appearances in the US television shows Good Morning America (broadcaster CBS), Today Show (NBC) and the children's program Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (PBC) and numerous CD recordings on the Telarc label.
Current Members:
- Kenneth Amis , tuba
- Mark Hetzler , trombone
- Michelle Perry , horn
- Marc Brian Reese , trumpet
- Rolf Smedvig , trumpet
Discography (selection)
- 1988 Joy to the World: Music of Christmas , Angel Records
- 1988 Fireworks , Capitol / EMI Music Distribution
- 1988 Empire Brass plays Bernstein, Gershwin & Tilson Thomas , Telarc Distribution
- 1989 Class Brass , Telarc Distribution
- 1989 Music of Gabrieli , Telarc Distribution
- 1990 Music for Organ, Brass & Percussion , Telarc Distribution
- 1990 Royal Brass: Music from Renaissance & Baroque , Telarc Distribution
- 1991 Braggin 'in Brass , Telarc Distribution
- 1992 Empire Brass on Broadway , Telarc Distribution
- 1992 Romantic Brass: Music of France & Spain , Telarc Distribution
- 1993 Mozart for Brass , Telarc Distribution
- 1993 Class Brass - On The Edge , Telarc Distribution
- 1994 Passage 138 BC - AD 1611 , Telarc Distribution
- 1996 The World Sings: An Empire Brass Christmas , Telarc Distribution
- 1997 Empire Brass: Greatest Hits , Telarc Distribution
- 1999 Class Brass: Firedance , Telarc Distribution
- 2002 The Glory of Gabrieli , Telarc Distribution
- 2003 Baroque Music for Brass and Organ , Telarc Distribution
- 2005 Fireworks , EMI Music Distribution
- 2005 A Bach Festival for Brass & Organ , EMI Music Distribution
Web links
- Sound carriers by Empire Brass in the catalog of the German National Library
- Empire Brass at Allmusic (English)
- Empire Brass at Discogs (English)