Brass Ensemble Night

Wednesday, January 25 | 7:00 PM

Program

The United States Army Band Brass and Percussion Ensemble

The United States Army Band Brass and Percussion Ensemble was formed to represent the United States Army as one of our nation’s finest brass ensembles. The tradition of the American brass ensemble can be found in the military brass bands of the Civil War. The U.S. Army Band Brass and Percussion Ensemble is comprised of members of The U.S. Army Concert Band and is led by CPT Richard Winkles and MSG Michael Parnell.

The King’s Brass

Tim Zimmerman and the King’s Brass provide innovative worship for young and old alike through the “best in sacred brass music.” By teaming together, these Christian professionals from around the United States perform their original arrangements as heard on their eight recordings. For more than twenty years, The King’s Brass have performed over one hundred concerts each season with three trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, keyboards, and percussion. Playing a wide variety of music from Gabrieli to hymn classics, from Handel to jazz spirituals, from Christmas carols to patriotic marches, The King’s Brass uses all corners of the concert hall to lift hearts and spirits in praise.

The Marine Band Brass Quintet

The Marine Band Brass Quintet is one of several ensembles formed from within “The President’s Own” to present chamber concerts and educational clinics. Most recently, the quintet performed at the 2010 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. The group also performs often at schools in the Washington, D.C., metro area, offering educational and innovative programs for students. Members of the quintet perform regularly as part of the Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra, and Marine Chamber Ensembles, and are frequently featured as soloists.

Trumpeter/cornetist Gunnery Sergeant Brian Turnmire of Flintstone, Ga., joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in January 2003. He attended the University of Georgia in Athens, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and studied with Fred Mills. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Gunnery Sgt. Turnmire was principal trumpet for the Chattanooga Symphony in Tennessee.

Trumpeter/cornetist Staff Sergeant Amy McCabe of Bonfield, Ill., joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in July 2006. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music and elementary education from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, and she earned her master’s degree in trumpet performance in 2006 from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Staff Sgt. McCabe was a featured soloist in the Tony / Emmy award winning show Blast!, and a member of MusiCorps, a music education and advocacy program designed to promote music awareness, appreciation, and training in the Chicago Public Schools. She performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra in Charleston, S.C., and the Walt Disney World All-Star Collegiate Jazz Band and Christmas Brass in Orlando, Fl. She also received the Roger Voisin Trumpet Award while a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass.

French horn player Staff Sergeant Douglas Quinzi of Las Cruces, N.M., joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in October 2004. He attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where in 2002 he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education. In 2004, he earned a master’s degree in French horn performance from the University of Maryland in College Park. He presently is pursuing a doctorate of musical arts at the University of Maryland. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Staff Sgt. Quinzi performed with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, was a finalist in the 2000 International Horn Society Competition, and was a freelance musician in the Washington, D.C., area.

Trombonist Staff Sergeant Preston Hardage, of Chesterfield, Mo., joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in October 2004. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music and performer’s certificate in 2004 from Indiana University in Bloomington. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Staff Sgt. Hardage won the Indiana University Concerto Competition and performed with the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckinridge, Colo.

Tuba player Gunnery Sergeant Mark Thiele of Vienna, Va., joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in June 1998. He received a bachelor’s degree in music education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., in 1995, and in 2001, he received a master’s in music performance from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In 1999 and 2004, he was a soloist at the United States Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Arlington, Va. Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” Gunnery Sgt. Thiele performed for two years at Walt Disney World in a tuba quartet named “The Tubafours.” In 1995, he won the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference Solo Competition.

Established by an Act of Congress in 1798, the Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Its primary mission is unique—to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. “The President’s Own” maintains a standard of excellence instated by 17th Director John Philip Sousa. Musicians are selected at auditions much like those of major symphony orchestras, and they enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps for duty with the Marine Band only. Most of today’s members are graduates of the nation’s finest music schools, and several hold advanced degrees in music.

The U.S. Army Brass Quintet

Since its inception in 1972, The U.S. Army Brass Quintet has gained a reputation as one of the most highly respected and sought after groups its kind. The ensemble has appeared before audiences and dignitaries in 48 states and 14 foreign countries. An element of The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC, The U.S. Army Brass Quintet has performed at the White House, presidential inaugurations, and official state ceremonies in the Nation’s Capital. They have been selected repeatedly as the first ensemble to honor new presidents with the traditional “Hail to the Chief” on live national broadcasts. In addition, The U.S. Army Brass Quintet frequently provides musical support for special events hosted by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, and the Army Chief of Staff, as well as for ceremonies supporting the Military District of Washington.

The U.S. Army Brass Quintet has performed on NBC’s “Today Show,” the Food Network’s “Emeril Live,” NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” CBS’s “Sunday Morning,” ABC, Fox, CNN, TNN, and internationally on BBC. The group also appears regularly on local and regional broadcasts throughout the nation.

The group’s repertoire includes over 500 selections from all eras and genres of classical and popular music, interactive entertainment, video, and works for children’s concerts. The Brass Quintet’s library also includes historic musical selections from the American Civil War which the ensemble enjoys performing on authentic instruments.

The U.S. Army Brass Quintet continues a long tradition in support of music education. The ensemble’s outreach activities include frequent appearances at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, The U.S. Army Band’s annual Tuba-Euphonium Conference, and at high schools, universities, and conservatories throughout the United States and around the world.