MIRARI brass quintet

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ARTISTSAriel

“The Mirari Brass Quintet presented a virtuosic program that thrilled and inspired our audience. Equally at home performing everything from Renaissance transcriptions to Charles Mingus charts, the ensemble is quickly establishing itself as one of the premier groups of its kind.”

–Dr. James Boldin, University of Louisiana-Monroe

“It was like someone pressed shuffle on my iPod and found all my favorite music. The Mirari Brass Quintet performs a dynamic mix of genres that delights. Beautifully executed and lots of fun!”

–Cynthia Johnston Turner, Director of Wind Ensembles, Cornell University

“These stellar musicians are the perfect combination of talent and insight. Their performances are full of contagious musical expression, and their master classes are clear and simple, yet have a dramatic effect on the way students play with one another.”

–Cory Mixdorf, Georgia State University

“The quintet’s performance was flawless, energetic, and captivating, as well as being educational and entertaining. The group demonstrated advanced knowledge and communication skills when working with the students, who were inspired to reach new levels in their own performances.”

– Dr. Kathryn Aducci, San Jose State University

“The Mirari Brass Quintet presented a program that was thoroughly enjoyable and expertly executed! The variety and pacing of the selections kept the entire audience engaged. The original compositions and arrangements by trumpeter Alex Noppe are a great addition to the repertoire.”

–Dr. Travis Bennett, Western Carolina University

Engaging and eclectic, the Mirari Brass Quintet brings a spirit of joyful collaboration and innovation to music

spanning many centuries and genres. Commissioners of multiple new works for brass, the group performs a spectacular tight-rope act, balancing intensity with levity and refined virtuosity with pure fun.

Now in its seventh season, Mirari has performed extensively across the United States, performing in more than twenty-seven states, and appearing in concert residencies at numerous universities, including University of Missouri-Kansas City, Truman State University, Pacific Lutheran University, Cornell University, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, the University of Louisiana, San Francisco State University, Brigham Young University-Idaho, and many more. In 2014, Mirari was a featured artist at the International Tuba & Euphonium Conference, as well as the International Trumpet Guild Conference in 2015 in Columbus, Ohio.

Throughout their existence, Mirari Brass has been dedicated to commissioning and arranging new works to expand the brass quintet genre; since 2009, they have added more than two dozen works to the repertoire. In one of their most popular projects, the group commissioned Rome Prize winner and Guggenheim Fellow Eric Nathan to write Spires, a major work based on a set of overlaid architectural drawings by Julie Mehretu. This piece later became the title track of their debut album, Spires (2012). Reflecting the multi-faceted interests and diverse talents of its members, Mirari leans heavily towards commissioning composers who have backgrounds apart from the brass idiom, such as choral (Austin Jaquith), theater (David Sisco), and jazz (Louis Romanos). Group members have also contributed a number of arrangements and original compositions.

All collegiate music professors, the members of Mirari showcase their passion for music education through master classes, clinics and outreach performances for students of all ages. They have presented clinics on topics such as Fearless Performance, Yoga for Musicians, and Creative Improvisation, examining all aspects of life as an artist.

Mirari Brass is Alex Noppe and Matthew Vangjel (trumpets), Jessie Thoman (horn), Sarah Paradis (trombone), and Stephanie Frye (tuba).

short bio

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PHOTO BY JASON ALDRIDGE

MIRARI brass quintet

www.arielartists.com G booking@arielartists.comSPIRITS TO ENFORCE art to enchant

ARTISTSAriel

RECYCLED, REUSED, RENEWED

Nobody steals from other instruments quite as well as the brass

quintet! A program from the brand new Mirari Brass album of the

same name, Recycled, Reused, Renewed celebrates music that has

been adapted from its original intent. Audiences will be delighted by

works borrowed from strings, piano, voice, and jazz combo, as well as

a major piece originally for brass (John Cheetham’s virtuosic and

dazzling A Brass Menagerie) in its second revision.

Works on “Recycled, Reused, Renewed” include:

Alex Noppe, Canyon Run

Claude Le Jeune (arr. Noppe), Revecy venir du printans

John Wilbye/Thomas Vautor/William Byrd (arr. Stephanie Frye), English

Madrigals (selected)

Noppe, Elegy

Felix Mendelssohn (arr. Verne Reynolds), String Quartet No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 12

Enrique Crespo, Suite Americana

Giacomo Puccini (arr. Tony Rickard), “Nessun Dorma” from Turandot

Eugene Bozza, Sonatine

David Sisco, New work TBA

Thad Jones (arr. Noppe), A Child Is Born

Charles Mingus (arr. Noppe), Moanin’

NOT-SO-CLASSICAL BRASSTired of hearing Beethoven, Brahms, and Mozart?! We aren’t, but

here’s a little something more current. This program features music

from the 20th and 21st centuries and explores the versatility of the

brass quintet through more popular idioms. There is a touch of op-

era, musical theater, jazz, and even contemporary popular music.

Walking in to hear a brass quintet, you might not expect to see

names like Thad Jones, Charles Mingus, Stevie Wonder, or Imogen

Heap on the program, but that is exactly what you get. It promises

to be a fun and entertaining mixture of music performed at the

highest level. We (secretly) always wanted to be in a cover band…

Works to be performed on the “Not-So-Classical Brass”

program include:

Stevie Wonder, Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Thad Jones, A Child is Born

Charles Mingus, Porkpie Hat

Charles Mingus, Haitian Fight Song

Chick Corea, Spain

Giacomo Puccini (arr. Tony Rickard), “Nessun Dorma” from

Turandot

Imogen Heap, Hide and Seek

Enrique Crespo, Ragtime

Enrique Crespo, Vals Peruano

Stephen Schwartz, “Defying Gravity” (from Wicked)

Leonard Bernstein, West Side Story Suite

Caprice Fox, Silence of Time

David Sisco, Visages

John Cheetham, Percolate

program offerings

PHOTO BY JASON ALDRIDGE

MIRARI brass quintet

www.arielartists.com G booking@arielartists.comSPIRITS TO ENFORCE art to enchant

ARTISTSAriel

program offerings (cont.)

MUSIC OF OUR ROOTSAmerican music at its core is an art based on synthesis, influenced by the tonal language and formal construction of Europe, the sound sets and improvisatory nature of African music, and the rhythmic grooves from Central and South America. Each of the works on this program draws in various ways from those roots and each comprises a unique combination of styles that interact in often unpredictable ways. As brass instruments can be found in nearly every genre of American music, the Mirari Brass Quintet is an ideal vehicle to interpret and present these works. In addition, each of the composers featured here (save one) are from the Americas.

Works to be performed as part of “Music of Our Roots” program include:John Cheetham, A Brass MenagerieEnrique Crespo, Suite AmericanaCaprice Fox, Silence of TimeLouis Romanos, TBAEric Nathan, SpiresRich Campbell, American RiffsJohn Stevens, HodesannaLeonard Bernstein, West Side Story SuiteCharles Mingus, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat and Haitian Fight Song

INTO THE MIRRORCompared to string quartets, piano trios, and many other chamber groups, the brass quintet, as a serious genre of music, is still in its infancy. As such, the Mirari Brass Quintet has made it a key component of its mission to develop and expand the available repertoire by commissioning outside composers and creating its own new works. Each of the pieces on this program was written for the group over the past five years, and (in many cases) composed specifically for the unique strengths and talents of each of the quintet members. The audience is invited to “reflect and wonder” (the definition of “Mirari”) and to explore the intricacies of music as both a means of personal expression and a social experience.The program centers around two very different works conceived for the group and written five years apart. New York-based composer and performer David Sisco completed his as-yet untitled work for Mirari Brass in 2014. Based on interviews with each member of the group, the first five movements each feature an individual Mirari member and are written around their life history, experiences, and interests. The final movement ties all the musical themes together in a cacophony of musical ideas and viewpoints, each unique but harmonious, proof that the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. The other major work on the program is Spires by Guggenheim Fellowship-winning composer Eric Nathan. Spires is based upon artist Julie Mehretu’s ink and acrylic artwork of stacked architectural blueprints of a plaza in Berlin. Appearing at first like merely a collection of obscured lines and points, the music is rotated and viewed from different vantage points until the scaffolding falls away, leaving only a starkly clear picture of buildings and towers. In

three elided movements, the piece uses a variety of extended techniques for brass such as slides, trills, and glissandi.Surrounding the Sisco and Nathan pieces are shorter vignettes from the lives and artistic sensibilities of the quintet members, each beginning as individual expression but over time being reborn and transformed by the collective. From bombastic and virtuosic fanfare (Alex Noppe’s Canyon Run, Greg Bartholomew’s Marvel), to the witty and buoyant (Stephanie Frye’s arrangement of English madrigals), to the deeply spiritual (Austin Jaquith’s Quintet for Brass, Noppe’s Elegy), the quintet embarks on a journey through light and dark. It is a challenging, humbling, and inspiring experience to look into the mirror of one’s own artistry and observe what reflects back, and the members of the Mirari Brass invite audiences to share it with them.

Works to be performed on the “Into the Mirror” program include:Alex Noppe, Canyon Run

John Wilbye/Thomas Vautor/William Byrd (arr. Stephanie Frye), English madrigals (selected)David Sisco, New work TBA

Noppe, Elegy

Louis Romanos, New work TBA

Greg Bartholomew, Marvel

Austin Jaquith, Quintet for Brass

Imogen Heap, Hide and Seek

Eric Nathan, Spires

Thad Jones (arr. Noppe), A Child Is Born

Chick Corea (arr. Noppe), Spain

PHOTO BY JASON ALDRIDGE

MIRARI brass quintet

www.arielartists.com G booking@arielartists.comSPIRITS TO ENFORCE art to enchant

ARTISTSAriel

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OUTREACHHere are a couple of the Mirari Brass Quintet’s outreach offerings for

elementary-aged kids. They are more than happy to custom-design

additional programs as well.

THE SCIENCE OF SOUND

How do brass instruments work? What are the differences between

them? How do you make so many sounds? These are some of the questions

we are often asked by young students, and we will demonstrate the

answers through a range of interactive games.

MIRARI BRASS GOES TO THE ZOO!

Story time with the brass quintet. Along with narration, we play two

animal-based works for quintet that introduce students of all ages to

the sonic possibilities offered by brass instruments. The first, Anthony

Plog’s Animal Ditties, is a lighthearted and humorous set of Ogden Nash

poetry, featuring such fun movements as The Ant, The Python, The

Rhinoceros, and The Mule. The second is The Race by Gwyneth Walker,

a contemporary retelling of “The Tortoise and The Hare.” We welcome a

teacher or school principal to be the narrator for this piece! In the middle

of the program, we will have time for questions from the students.

SPECIALIZED LECTURES/DEMONSTRATIONSThe Mirari Brass Quintet offers a variety of lecture/demonstrations

on more specialized topics. These can be tailored as necessary

to suit the needs of any given audience, and can be mixed and

matched as well.

Topics include:

CREATIVE IMPROVISATION

PHRASE AND FLOW

FEARLESS PERFORMANCE

INSTRUMENTAL YOGA

THE ENTERPRISING ARTIST

FORM AND FUNCTION: MUSIC OF AND FOR THE PEOPLE

MASTER CLASSESThe Mirari Brass Quintet has decades of collective educational

experience, and loves to work with students of all levels, whether

they specialize in brass or simply have a general interest in

music and performance. Mirari can work one-on-one, with small

groups, or with large audiences. In addition to the traditional

master class setting, in which specific pieces are used to bring

focus to larger performance concepts, Mirari can also speak

as a group on areas of expertise. These topics can be geared

towards audiences of all ages and ability levels, and can be

mixed and matched to suit the needs of any event:

BRASS FUNDAMENTALS

CHAMBER MUSIC FUNDAMENTALS

MUSIC BUSINESS AND MARKETING

THE ART OF PERFORMING

additional offerings

PHOTO BY JASON ALDRIDGE