World-renowned brass ensemble performing holiday favorites
Canadian Brass has truly earned the distinction of the world’s most famous brass ensemble. The group is comprised of founding member Chuck Daellenbach (tuba), Brandon Ridenour and Caleb Hudson (trumpets), Achilles Liarmakopoulos (trombone) and Jeff Nelsen (horn).
Masters of concert presentations, Canadian Brass has developed a uniquely engaging stage presence and rapport with audiences. Each of their concerts will show the quintet’s full range from trademark Baroque and Dixieland tunes to new compositions and arrangements created especially for them—from formal classical presentation to music served up with lively dialogue and theatrical effects. The hallmark of any Canadian Brass performance is entertainment, spontaneity, virtuosity and, most of all, fun—but never at the expense of the music. Whatever the style, the music is central and performed with utmost dedication, skill and excellence.
With a discography of over 130 albums and an extensive international touring schedule, Canadian Brass is an important pioneer in bringing brass music to mass audiences everywhere. They have sold well over 2 million albums worldwide, with 1.2 million sold in the Nielsen Soundscan era alone (since 1991). They continue to score Billboard chart positions—like with their rousing recording of patriotic songs and marches, Stars & Stripes: Canadian Brass Salute America, which spent eight weeks in the top 25 on the Billboard Classical Chart, peaking at #2.
Millions of television viewers have had Canadian Brass in their homes with appearances on The Tonight Show, Today and Entertainment Tonight and recently to more than half a billion viewers for the Chinese New Year on China’s most popular station. They have appeared as guest artists on Evening at Pops with John Williams and the Boston Pops, Beverly Sills’ Music Around the World and numerous PBS programs, including a celebrated appearance on Sesame Street. They are also frequent guests of many major symphony orchestras.
The varied Canadian Brass repertoire features brass standards as well as a wide-ranging library of original arrangements. These include the works of Renaissance and Baroque masters, classical works, marches, holiday favorites, ragtime, Dixieland, Latin, jazz, big band, Broadway, Christian music and popular standards. Having started with a very limited base, the ensemble has created their own musical world by transcribing, arranging and commissioning more than 600 works, including critically acclaimed compositions from Michael Kamen, Luther Henderson, Bramwell Tovey, Don Gillis and more. They have transformed a previously neglected group of instruments with a limited repertoire into a versatile and vital ensemble that can play everything from Gabrieli to Gershwin. Canadian Brass is especially known for their famous holiday concerts at Christmas time and for re-establishing Scott Joplin with today’s audiences through their research, arrangements and recordings of his “rags” and other works.
With four decades under their belts, Canadian Brass continues to thrill audiences around the world!
