Widely acclaimed as one of the world’s finest brass ensembles, the Atlantic Brass Quintet has been heard in 48 of the United States and more than a dozen countries across four continents, performing a unique repertory spanning Dufay, Gesualdo, and Bach; Babbitt, Ellington, and Zappa; and ethnic music from the streets of Brazil, Cuba, the Balkans, and New Orleans. Winner of six international chamber music competitions, the Quintet’s distinctive sound, impeccable ensemble, stunning virtuosity, and warm, inviting stage presence have won praise from scores of critics.

Founded in 1985, the Atlantic Brass Quintet launched its career with a phenomenal string of competition victories over a period of two years. Grand prizes include the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, the Carmel Chamber Music Society Competition, the Shore¬line Alliance Chamber Music Competition, the Summit Brass First International Brass Ensemble Competition, and the Rafael Mendez International Brass Quintet Competition. Following these remarkable achievements, the Atlantic Brass Quintet was honored by Musical America by being named “Young Artists of 1988.” In May 1992, by unanimous decision, the Quintet won the “Première Prix” at the International Brass Competition of Narbonne, France, recognized worldwide as the preeminent competition of its kind.

Highlights in the Quintet’s busy concert career include performances at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Boston Celebrity Series, Caramoor, and the White House. Thousands have enjoyed their performances at Tanglewood-on-Parade, and in 1991, as part of Boston’s Fourth of July Celebration, Atlantic Brass Quintet entertained an audience of over 350,000 on the Esplanade. Recent and upcoming festival performances include the Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, the Savannah Music Festi¬val, the Chautauqua Institution, the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, and the Caramoor Festival for Music and the Arts. Other recent and upcoming performances include the Houston Friends of Music, the University at Buffalo, Chamber Music West, Purdue University, and Calvin College, while extended residencies include California State University Fullerton, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Quad City Arts. The quintet is also active on the international scene, with performances the last two seasons in Italy for Palladium Musicum, in South Korea for the Jeju Summer Band Festival, in Taiwan for the Hsing Tien Kong Culture & Education Development Foundation, and for the National Concert Association in Panama.

The Quintet’s latest recording, “5 Chairs,” was released by Summit Records in July 2004. It features music of Monteverdi and Holborne, new works by Marti Eptstein and Ray Luke, the contemporary classic quintet of Alvin Etler, and Oskar Boehme’s Sextet. Summit reissued “Picture This,” a favorite from the Quintet’s extensive back catalogue, in early 2005. “Passages and Fanfares” was released in the fall of 2002 and comprises music of Bach, Handel, Praetorius, and Byrd alongside new works from Bernard Rands, Ray Luke, and Samuel Headrick, as well as such audience favorites as Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” and selections from the Atlantic Brass Quintet’s “Brass Band Music from Around the World.”

The Atlantic Brass Quintet has been the resident brass quintet of Boston University, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Boston Conservatory. The popular Atlantic Brass Quintet International Brass Seminar, established in 1993 and now in residence at Boston University, has already secured the ensemble’s legacy to the next generation of brass musicians. A new annual seminar on the West Coast was launched in 2007, and is now based at Saint Mary’s College of California.

The Atlantic Brass Quintet can be heard on recordings from Summit Records, Solstice, and Crystal.

[September 2010]