Piedmont Wind Symphony
Mark A. Norman Conductor
Rob Simon Guest Conductor
~ 2 hours, including intermission
An extraordinary celebration of Piedmont Wind Symphony's 35 Anniversary Season, featuring the most famous brass quintet in the world. Canadian Brass will take the stage to perform some of their most exciting and beloved pieces alongside the symphony.
Conductor Emeritus Rob Simon will make a triumphant return to lead the ensemble, joined by alumni who have performed with the symphony over the last 35 years.
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR CONCERT SPONSORS
With an international reputation as one of the most popular brass ensembles today, Canadian Brass has truly earned the distinction of the world’s most famous brass group.
Masters of concert presentations, Canadian Brass has developed a uniquely engaging stage presence and rapport with audiences. What set Canadian Brass apart from all other performing artists in 1970 was the relentless search for repertoire that was both loved by its performers and embraced by a growing brass audience. Each of their concerts exhibit a full range of musical styles, from trademark Baroque and Dixieland tunes, to Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Joplin, Gershwin and Ellington to ballet, opera and new compositions and arrangements created especially for them.
With a discography of over 135 albums, Canadian Brass has been an important pioneer in bringing brass music to mass audiences everywhere. They have received a combined total of 24 GRAMMY and Juno nominations and won the German Echo Award for Goldberg Variations. Their most recent album, Canadiana, features unique arrangements of many Canadian superstars including Joni Mitchell and Drake. Touring legends with an enthusiastic fan base, Canadian Brass play to packed houses worldwide and were the first brass ensemble from the West to perform in the People’s Republic of China as well as the first brass group to take the main stage at Carnegie Hall.
Canadian Brass has made appearances on The Tonight Show, Today, Entertainment Tonight, Evening at Pops with John Williams and the Boston Pops, Beverly Sills’ Music Around the World, numerous PBS specials, including a celebrated appearance on Sesame Street, and are frequent guests of many major symphony orchestras.
Education continues to be at the forefront of Canadian Brass’ yearly activities. There are over one million Canadian Brass quintet repertoire books in the hands of students in every country with a strong brass tradition.
Joe Burgstaller and Mikio Sasaki, trumpets
Jeff Nelsen, horn
Keith Dyrda, trombone
Chuck Daellenbach, tuba