Canadian Brass

Wikipedia:

The Canadian Brass is a brass quintet founded by Dr. Charles Daellenbach and Gene Watts in 1970. In addition to maintaining a heavy international touring schedule, the Canadian Brass have recorded over 100 CDs and DVDs. They have commissioned, performed, and recorded hundreds of transcriptions and original works for brass quintet. Now in its 5th decade, the group's popularity is only growing as evidenced by quickly reaching 1 million views on its very recently created YouTube Canadian Brass Channel.

Description and history

Named the "world's leading brass ensemble" by The Washington Post, they perform a wide variety of musical styles, including baroque, classical, renaissance, medieval, jazz and pop.

The Canadian Brass (known for their unique performance attire of formal black suits with white running shoes) made its American debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in 1975. A significant international visit was made in 1977 when they were sent to mainland China as a cultural exchange between Canada and China. The ensemble was chosen and sent on this cultural mission by then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. They are now remembered in China as the first Western musicians allowed into China after the Cultural Revolution had subverted Western art music.

In 1979 Canadian Brass became the first chamber ensemble to solo the main stage at Carnegie Hall. As The New York Times reported, their sold-out performance "clearly establishes the Canadian Brass as a main-stage attraction." In addition to their heavy international touring schedule for over 40 years, and their extensive recording catalog, they have been on the Billboard charts in each decade of their existence, recording with the majors RCA, BMG, CBS, Sony, Philips and Decca, occupying virtually all the spots open to brass players. Canadian Brass recordings are currently released by Toronto-based Opening Day Entertainment Group (ODEG), headed by Daellenbach.

There is virtually no major concert hall in the world in which Canadian Brass has not played. And there is virtually no major new concert hall in the past forty years that has not either been opened by the Canadian Brass, with the most recent being the opening ceremonies for the grand opening of the Kaufman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City.

Members

Current members

Past members

Videography