Kevin Cobb, trumpet
Louis Hanzlik, trumpet
Eric Reed, horn
Michael Powell, trombone
John D. Rojak, bass trombone
United States / New York
Founded: 1970
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. As 2013 recipient of Chamber Music America’s highest honor, the Richard J. 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.
ABQ commissions by Robert Beaser, William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Eric Ewazen, Anthony Plog, Huang Ruo, David Sampson, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Joan Tower, and Charles Whittenberg, among many others, are considered significant contributions to contemporary chamber music and the foundation of the modern brass quintet repertoire. The ABQ’s Emerging Composer Commissioning program has brought forth brass quintets by Gordon Beeferman, Jay Greenberg, Trevor Gureckis, and Shafer Mahoney. Among the quintet’s recordings are eleven CDs for Summit Records since 1992 including the ABQ’s 50th release State of the Art—The ABQ at 50 featuring recent works written for them.
The New York Times recently wrote that “among North American brass ensembles none is more venerable than the American Brass Quintet,” while Newsweek has hailed the ensemble as “the high priests of brass” and American Record Guide has called the ABQ “of all the brass quintets, the most distinguished.” Through its acclaimed performances, diverse programming, commissioning, extensive discography and educational mission, the American Brass Quintet has created a legacy unparalleled in the brass field.
Recordings
- 1965 – Music for Brass Quintet
- 1967 – Music of the Renaissance and Baroque for Brass Quintet
- 1968 – Modern Music for Brass
- 1969 – American Brass Music
- 1969 – The American Brass Quintet
- 1969 – Music for Brass 1500 - 1970
- 1972 – 4 Pieces for 5 Brass Players
- 1974 – Contemporary Music for Percussion and Brass
- 1976 – Music of Elliot Carter
- 1979 – Plays Renaissance Elizabethan and Baroque Music
- 1982 – Music of Virgil Thomson
- 1984 – American Brass Quintet
- 1985 – Brass Music of St. Petersburg
- 1989 – American Brass Quintet
- 1992 – New American Brass
- 1994 – Urban Classical: the Music of Ed Bland
- 1995 – Chamber Music of Eric Ewazen
- 1995 – Fyre & Lightning
- 1995 – George Walker
- 1995 – Music of David Felder
- 1996 – Premier!
- 1997 – Robert Starer
- 2000 – American Brass Quintessence
- 2000 – Classic American Brass
- 2000 – Dectet: The Music of David Sampson
- 2001 – Shadowcatcher
- 2002 – Meyer Kupferman
- 2003 – American Visions
- 2004 – Trilogy: The Music of Daniel Asia
- 2005 – In Gabrieli’s Day
- 2007 – Jewels
- 2010 – State of the Art: The ABQ at 50
- 2013 – Snapshot
- 2014 – Chesapeake: The Music of David Sampson
- 2016 – Perspectives