While classy dress, 24-karat gold-plated instruments and white sneakers are their trademarks, several other factors make the Canadian Brass stand out as an internationally acclaimed group of musicians — like their knack of perfectly combining raw talent and showmanship.
On Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m., this world-famous brass group will perform in the Founder’s Memorial Amphitorium for this semester’s first Artist Series program.
Trumpet players Caleb Hudson and Christopher Coletti, horn player Eric Reed, trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos, and tuba player Chuck Daellenbach make up the dynamic brass quintet.
Daellenbach is the only remaining member of the original group, which first came together in Toronto in 1970. Hudson is the newest member, having joined this past April. Ironically, most of the brass quintet members are not from Canada. Three are actually from the United States and one is native to Greece.
According to Dr. Darren Lawson, dean of the School of Fine Arts and Communication, this is the second time the Canadian Brass has come to the University. Lawson wanted them to return because their first visit in 1997 was so well received here at BJU. “I wanted this generation of students to experience this superb group,” Lawson said.
The Canadian Brass enjoys interacting with the audience, and each performance is unpredictable. The players typically banter back and forth throughout the concert. They have even been known to sit among the crowd or act out an abbreviated “opera” — all while playing.
“The group makes the program accessible and enjoyable,” Lawson said. “Getting to experience such a well-known group is a great privilege and opportunity for our student body.”
Tuesday night, the group will perform their “Almost Too Serious” concert, a classical repertoire with some very entertaining pieces, including “Overture to Marriage of Figaro” and a suite from Carmen.
“I have great memories of their performance from 1997,” Lawson said. “I am very excited to hear them again.”
The Washington Post touts, “These are the men who put brass music on the map: with their unbeatable blend of virtuosity, spontaneity and humor, they brighten the rosters of concert halls, international festivals and orchestra series throughout the world.”
The group plans to sell and sign albums in the FMA lobby following the concert. For more information about the Canadian Brass, visit www.canadianbrass.com.