UNL Brass Quintet to perform original 20th century compositions

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UNL Brass Quintet to perform original 20th century compositions

The University of Nebraska Brass Quintet includes (from left) Craig Fuller, Alan Mattingly, Scott Anderson, K. Craig Bircher and Scott Quackenbush.

The University of Nebraska Brass Quintet will perform a selection of original compositions from the 20th Century including the opus 65 Quintet by Jan Koetsier, the Suite Francais by Eugene Bozza, Andre Previn’s Four Outings for Brass and one of the first original compositions for the New York Brass Quintet by Collier Jones. The recital is 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in Kimball Hall. Tickets, available at the door, are $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens.

The quintet includes UNL faculty Scott Quackenbush and K. Craig Bircher, trumpets; Alan Mattingly, horn; Scott Anderson, trombone; and Craig Fuller, tuba.

“This is one of the most melodic programs we have put together in the past few years,” Anderson said. “Many composers write for brass and exploit the dynamic aspect of the instrumentation and forget that the brass quintet can be a wonderful vehicle for melodic and expressive playing. That’s not to say that there are no loud or aggressive moments in the program but it is primarily devoted to this idea of melodic playing.

“This is the second performance of Margo Romig’s Prayerdance and we are finding new things in the piece every time we play it. The audience will be surprised to hear Andre Previn’s treatment of the brass quintet. He explores the rich heritage of American vernacular music in his quintet. The quintet by Jan Koetsier is simply one of the finest pieces in the repertoire.”

The program will also include Prayerdance by Omaha Composer Margo Romig.

The University of Nebraska Brass Quintet is dedicated to the performance of original repertoire works and new music. The quintet has been active in commissioning new works with a Concerto Grosso by Juraj Filas and a new quintet by Bruce Broughton to be premiered in spring 2014. The group has performed on the Omaha Chamber Music Society Series, the Meadowlark Festival, The International Brass Chamber Music Festival and have toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe.

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