Lukas Stolz, trumpet
Christian Scholz, trumpet
Jakob Knauer, horn
Lars Proxa, trombone
Nikolai Kähler, tuba
Germany
Founded: 2000
When in 2000 five ambitious music students from Leipzig formed an as yet nameless brass quintet, none of them suspected that this ensemble, which today plays around 50 concerts a year, would one day make up a significant part of their professional lives! Originally it was the joy of playing interactive chamber music, the self-determination (independence) in program selection and interpretation as well as the solo challenge of each individual that offered the musicians a refreshing change from playing in an orchestra.
After the first successful summer tours, the ensemble was soon able to “embrace” a steadily growing, enthusiastic audience nationwide under the name “emBRASSment” (which, by the way, despite its English-French provenance can simply be pronounced German!) and is now part of the annual series of events in many churches, Town halls and music festivals are indispensable. In addition, the rich and velvety brass sound always impresses at festive occasions of all kinds such as congresses, weddings and city festivals – of course also open air! The five musicians, who always attach great importance to close personal contact with their organizers and concert guests, can now look back on a whole series of impressive venues, moving audience reactions and inspiring collaborations.
The wide-ranging repertoire of emBRASSment includes relevant original compositions for brass quintet by Victor Ewald, Jan Koetsier, Enrique Crespo, Kerry Turner, Mogens Andresen and others as well as arrangements of works from all periods. From Monteverdi to Bernstein, from church chorals to ABBA hits, almost all genres are covered stylistically. This diversity, which can be called up at any time, allows emBRASSment to respond individually to the program requests of organizers and to enchant with the right music for every occasion. In addition to a consistently successful and rousing “crossover” program, the ensemble offers concert programs that are thematically conceived.
A charming and informative, entertaining but always appropriate moderation is just as much a part of the ensemble’s trademark as is stylish interpretations and high technical perfection in the musical field.
REcordings
- 2006 – Delikatessen
- 2009 – Excerpts
- 2011 – Inexhaustable
- 2013 – North Accented
- 2017 – emBRASSment 5.00
- 2020 – Homage to Leipzig