American Brass Quintet

Brass Quintet

Sunday Concert

September 28, 2025, 4-6 PM

Program

Music of the Early Republic (Edited by David Fetter)

Philip Phile (c. 1734-1793)
The President’s March (1793)

Alexander Reinagle (1756-1809)
Minuet
Gavotte

Anonymous
General Burgoyne’s March from the Bellamy Band, 1799

Anthony Barfield (b. 1983)
Samsāra (2022)

David Biedenbender (b. 1984)
Sacred Geometry (2022)
Ripples
Gaudí
Nautilus
Helix

Intermission

David Snow (b. 1954)
Dance Movements (1980)

Philip Lasser (b. 1963)
Common Heroes, Uncommon Land (2017)
City Hero
Hero of the Land
Joy
Hold Fast to Dreams
Epilogue

Joan Tower (b. 1938)
Copperwave (2006)

The American Brass Quintet, hailed as “the high priests of brass” (Newsweek), launches Phillips Music’s 85th season with a program that bridges early American music and contemporary compositions, complementing the exhibition Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection (November 8, 2026-February 15, 2026). The concert opens with selections from the early republic, including Philip Phile’s The President’s March and dances by Alexander Reinagle, reflecting the nation’s formative years. Contemporary works such as Anthony Barfield’s Samsāra, David Biedenbender’s Sacred Geometry, David Snow’s Dance Movements, Philip Lasser’s Common Heroes, Uncommon Land, and Joan Tower’s Copperwave showcase the evolution of brass music. This concert offers a fascinating journey through the brass tradition —from ceremonial marches to spiritual resonance—performed by one of the world’s foremost brass ensembles, offering a compelling journey through America’s musical heritage, from its inception to the present day.

The American Brass Quintet is represented by Kirshbaum Associates, New York.

The American Brass Quintet is internationally recognized as one of the premier chamber music ensembles of our time, celebrated for peerless leadership in the brass world. “The most distinguished” of brass quintets (American Record Guide), ABQ has earned its stellar reputation through its celebrated performances, genre-defining commissioned works, and an ongoing commitment to the education of generations of musicians.

A recipient of Chamber Music America’s highest honor, the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award for significant and lasting contributions to the field, the group's rich history includes performances in five continents, a discography of over sixty recordings, and the premieres of over one hundred fifty contemporary brass works. Since its founding in 1960, the commissioned works of esteemed composers have contributed significantly to both contemporary chamber music and the foundation of the modern brass quintet repertoire. Such composers include Elliott Carter, Eric Ewazen, Jennifer Higdon, Anthony Plog, Huang Ruo, David Sampson, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Joan Tower, Charles Whittenberg, and John Zorn, among many others. The Quintet’s Emerging Composer Commissioning program, with grant assistance from the Jerome Foundation, produced brass quintets by rising stars Gordon Beeferman, Jay Greenberg, Trevor Gureckis, and Shafer Mahoney. Among the Quintet’s recordings are eleven CDs for Summit Records since 1992 including the latest release, "Perspectives”, featuring four works commissioned for the ensemble.

Committed to the promotion of brass chamber music through education, the American Brass Quintet has been in residence at The Juilliard School since 1987 and the Aspen Music Festival since 1970. Since 2000, ABQ has offered its expertise in chamber music performance and training with a program of mini-residencies as part of its regular touring. Designed to offer young groups and individuals an intense chamber music experience over several days, ABQ mini-residencies have been embraced by schools and communities throughout the United States as well as internationally.

The New York Times wrote that “among North American brass ensembles none is more venerable than the American Brass Quintet.” Through its acclaimed performances, diverse programming, commissioning, extensive discography and educational mission, the American Brass Quintet has created an unparalleled legacy in the brass field.

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