Denver Brass - All About Us

All About Us

The Denver Brass

Standing L to R: Cami Kidwell-Dodge - Trumpets, Charles Brantigan – Tuba, Susan McCullough - Horn, Jeff Craig Trombone, Jenny Harvey - Horn, Alan Hood – Trumpets, Jeremy Van Hoy – Bass Trombone, Andrew Wolfe, Bass Trombone, Joseph Martin – Trombone/Euphonium, Kathy Aylsworth Brantigan – Tuba, Joseph Docksey – Trumpets, Kenneth Singleton – Conductor

The Denver Brass - the Organization

The Denver Brass Inc. presents acclaimed ensembles for concerts, tours, celebrations and a wide variety of gatherings - The Denver Brass (12-part symphonic brass), the Aries Brass Quintet, Denver Brass Quintet, and Hi Altitude Jazz. Musicians from these ensembles have been heard from rural Colorado, to the Moscow Conservatory of Music and mountain tops in Costa Rica. Critics everywhere hail these ensembles for exquisite and exhilarating music presented in an intimate and personal manner – more than just a concert! “Goose Bumps Guaranteed,” is the tag line for The Denver Brass and Aries Brass Quintet, and you can count on programming that will provide something for every member of your audience.

The Denver Brass - the Ensemble

Formed in 1981 by an enthusiastic group of Denver's finest brass performers, the Denver Brass Inc. is comprised of 14 professional musicians who have dedicated themselves to enhancing the quality of life of the people of Colorado, the United States, and audiences around the world, by presenting fresh and exhilarating concerts of diverse and dynamic musical styles. Unique in the world for its approach to concert programming, and one of just a few professional large brass ensembles in the world, The Denver Brass has enjoyed a success that is directly linked to its universal appeal. People from every background find inspiration in the ensemble’s unique sounds. From “Echoes of Castles & Cathedrals” to “Latin Brass: Hot, Hot, Hot,” “Brass, Bagpipes & Co.,” and “Big Band Bash,” there’s something for everyone in every Denver Brass season. Denver Brass musicians are heard by more than 75,000 persons at more than 150 performances annually. The organization is in the forefront of brass performance, entertainment, commissioning, publishing, recording and education. The Denver Brass is heard on 20 compact discs on the Klavier, Centaur, Delos and Denver Brass labels. The recordings are sold nationally and internationally, and have received rave reviews from major brass and music journals around the world. The musicians of The Denver Brass are selected through audition for their technical and creative excellence, and are on the faculties of the area’s finest universities and music schools. The Denver Brass has been heard for the past several summers at Red Rocks Amphitheatre for Denver Film on the Rocks, with the Colorado Symphony, at Denver's Carousel Ball, opening night of the Colorado Ballet, the Mayor's Cup Race, Denver Botanic Gardens, the Arvada Center, World Youth Day Papal Mass of 1993, Colorado Music Educator’s Conference, and at many of the world’s major international music and brass conferences - International Organ Conference, International Women’s Brass Conference, Raphael Mendez Brass Institute, International Trumpet Guild Symposium, and the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference.

Aries Brass Quintet

Alan Hood – Trumpets, Joseph Martin – Trombone, Kathy Aylsworth Brantigan – Tuba

Susan McCullough – Horn, F Joseph Docksey – Trumpet

Aries Brass Quintet

Founded in 1976, the Aries Brass Quintet, the recital quintet of The Denver Brass, is an ensemble internationally recognized for its elegant approach to brass chamber music performance. The ensemble has toured the United States, Western Europe, Russia, and Central and South America, and has been heard live on National Public Radio and Russian national television. Aries has been the invited guest of the Moscow Conservatory of Music and the International Music Festival of San Jose, Costa Rica. Aries has enjoyed a 20-year residency with the prestigious St. John’s Cathedral chamber music series in Denver, Colorado, and is also in residence at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music.

A fresh and exciting chamber ensemble, Aries is in the forefront of commissioning new works, which embody the spirit of American music. From exquisite jazz and contemporary sounds to delicate Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces, an Aries performance is an event for the heart, mind and soul. Aries specialty concerts include “Sizzling Sounds of the Americas” and “Aries - International Intrigue.” Aries is heard on the following recordings: “Arise,” DB7701, Denver Brass Inc., “Aries Stands Alone,” to be released 2001, Denver Brass Inc., “Aries,” CRC 2083, Centaur Records Inc., “Great Music of Christmas,” ISBN:168-0, Church Hymnal Corporation; “Sing We Noel,” DE3128, Delos International Inc., “Fanfare of Carols” with the Arvada Chorale, and “America Sings,” Delos International. Aries joined the Denver Brass family in 1991.

Staff