I’ve been enjoying some much-needed vacation time this summer, complete with an extended hiatus from blogging. Although I haven’t posted any new content for the last several weeks, this time has not been spent idly. Summer is a great time to work on various projects and get in lots of focused practice sessions. Here’s a brief list of what I’ve been up to this summer.

• New Arrangements: Two have been submitted for publication, and I anticipate sending in a couple more by the fall. More details once they’re in print!
• Wedding Season: In June I was invited to play at a good friend’s wedding. We became friends in high school band, and have stayed in touch for the last 2o years. My wife and I had a great time catching up with old friends and celebrating at the reception. Here’s a a picture of me playing some pre-ceremony music. Photograph by Urban Bloom Photography.
• Practicing: A short run of Les Misérables coming up at the beginning of August, and a faculty recital (Music for Horn and Organ) coming up in early October. More details on this recital in a future post.
• Brass Trio Article: I recently submitted an article to The Horn Call titled “Brass Trio Repertoire: Beyond Poulenc.” For a while now I’ve been planning to put together a list of original brass trio compositions, and I hope that others find the article useful. The story behind the title is that I’m often asked by colleagues what other good works are out there for brass trio in addition to Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Trumpet, Horn and Trombone. The short answer is “a lot!” For part of the article I put together my personal “Top 10” list of works that I consider basic repertoire. Such lists are of course arbitrary, but if you’re looking for music to play in a brass trio in addition to the Poulenc this is a great place to start. Here’s the list, in alphabetical order. Where available, I’ve included a link to a live performance of the work.

1. Lauren Bernofsky, Trio for Brass
2. Eric Ewazen, A Philharmonic Fanfare
3. Arthur Frackenpohl, Brass Trio
4. Jan Koetsier, Figaro-Metamorphosen, Op. 131
5. Jean-François Michel, Suite
6. Jérôme Naulais, Flash
7. Václav Nelhýbel, Trio for Brass
8. Anthony Plog, Trio for Brass
9. David Sampson, Duncan Trio
10. Daniel Schnyder, Trio for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone/Bass Trombone or Tuba

Another portion of the article includes a list of currently or recently active ensembles, with links to their websites, if available. This is only a partial alphabetical listing, and I’m sure there are many other fine groups out there. If you are a member of an active brass trio I’d love to hear from you and chat about repertoire.

1. Auckland Chamber Ensemble (ACE) Brass
2. Black Bayou Brass
3. Borealis Brass
4. Contrapunctus Brass Trio
5. Del Mar College Faculty Brass Trio
6. Kalamazoo Brass Collective
7. Louisville Orchestra Brass Trio
8. New Mexico Brass Trio
9. New York Brass Arts Trio
10. New York Chamber Brass
11. Old Dominion University Faculty Brass Trio
12. Ouachita Baptist University Faculty Brass Trio
13. Pro Musica Brass Trio
14. Reedy River Brass Trio
15. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Faculty Brass Trio
16. Three Body Problem
17. Trillium Brass Trio
18. University of Maryland Brass Trio
19. V3NTO Brass Trio
20. Warsaw Brass Trio
21. Welsh Brass Trio
22. Wenham Street Brass
23. Yale Brass Trio

If this brief look whets your appetite for more information about brass trio music, be sure to check out the article in a future issue of The Horn Call!

I’ll only post sporadically between now and the beginning of the fall semester, but plan to resume a more regular writing schedule once school begins. Enjoy the summer!