Brass quintet has how many members

School of Music. Experience Tech For Yourself Visit us to see what sets us apart. Schedule Your Visit. American Brass Quintet website. American Brass Quintet. Ensemble Worldwide Representation. Back to List. Back to Top. Bogomolny National Service Award for significant and lasting contributions to the field, ABQ's rich history includes performances in Asia, Australia, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and all fifty of the United States; a discography of nearly sixty recordings; and the premieres of over one hundred fifty contemporary brass works.

Committed to the promotion of brass chamber music through education, the American Brass Quintet has been in residence at The Juilliard School since and the Aspen Music Festival since Since the 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 and a dozen foreign countries.

For general inquiries please email: info americanbrassquintet. Jason M. Originally published to AllianceBrass. For me, chamber music has always meant freedom. Not that orchestral playing is some dark terrible thing, but I enjoy the opportunity to have more input in the creative process of the music that I am making. I much prefer having the flexibility to have direct control over the music that I play on a regular basis.

No decisions are made without my input. However, most music schools are designed to train students to become orchestral players and, for the lucky few, to be virtuoso soloists. Programs have always been focused on the large ensemble. Many schools have very strong chamber music programs, but they are still based on the large ensemble model.

Chamber music may not be required, but large ensemble is always required. The problem with the current model is that it is unsustainable. There are a finite amount of orchestral positions especially in the brass section and not everyone can—or will—be a virtuoso. I have always viewed the orchestral pursuit as putting my future on a lottery ticket. True, if I won an orchestral job and was then lucky enough to be tenured, I would have a very comfortable life.

However, early in my student days, I did some basic calculations that I will share here: In the United States there are many orchestras, but only a small percentage of those orchestras have salaries that pay a livable wage. That leaves us with 50 major orchestras in the United States. As a trumpet player that means that there could be at most jobs in the country.