The brass quintet players illustrate the “Arizona” in Arizona Philharmonic.
“This debut performance of the AZ Phil Brass Quintet is a delightful program of bold, beautiful and humorous music that will appeal to wide musical tastes and all ages,” said AZ Phil Executive Director Henry Flurry. Tickets and information are available at AZPhil.org.
The Brass Quintet Players
The brass quintet players illustrate the “Arizona” in Arizona Philharmonic. Founding AZ Phil member and principal trumpet player Cindy Gould lives in Flagstaff and also is principal trumpet with Flagstaff Symphony. She is a member of the Northern Arizona University (NAU) Elden Brass, and she performs with the Flagstaff Symphony Brass Quintet. Karen Teplik from Phoenix plays horn, and playing tuba is Mark Nelson from Tucson. Recent audition winners new to AZ Phil are principal trombone player Michael Martinez from Flagstaff, and Stephen Martin from Phoenix on second trumpet, rounding out the big brass sound.
A Program for the Whole Family
Gould, who played also with brass quintets in Ohio, Seattle and Bellevue, Washington, says the program should delight adults and children because of the music’s beautiful sound and humor. “The sheer variety and diversity of the repertoire makes it appeal to a wide audience, and Peter Schickele’s Horse Opera should bring smiles. Schoolchildren may enjoy associating specific brass instruments with their signature sounds,” Gould added.
Another highlight of this program is that several composers, Peter Schickele, Phil Snedecor and Sir Malcolm Arnold, wrote pieces specifically for this combination of instruments. In fact, Sir Malcom Arnold established the instrumentation of two trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba as the standard for brass quintet. George Gershwin’s name is easily recognizable to all genres of music and his selection, Three Preludes, showcases his focus in jazz, blues and classical music.
The program includes:
- Quintet for Brass, Op. 73 (1961), Sir Malcom Arnold
- Three Preludes, (1926) George Gershwin
- Polka, from Hornsmoke: A Horse Opera (1975), Peter Schickele (for which Schickele won a Grammy Award in 1999)
- Suite for Brass (1998), Phil Snedecor
- S. Bach My Spirit Be Joyful, and Fugue in g minor
- Giovanni Gabrieli – Canzon prima a5
- Getting Involved with AZ Phil
We welcome you to join AZ Phil as we share the joy of professional music with our community. Sponsorship, donations, advertising and volunteer and board member opportunities for the upcoming season can be found at AZPhil.org. There are multiple levels of advertising and sponsorship offering many benefits, and volunteer openings for all areas of expertise.
About Arizona Philharmonic
Arizona Philharmonic (AZ Phil) is celebrating its fourth season in Prescott in 2021-2022 as Prescott’s regional professional orchestra, presenting large and small concerts that engage and inspire listeners. Based in Prescott and performing also in Surprise, AZ Phil draws musicians from across Arizona and is committed to offering transformative music, while nurturing community participation and supporting the needs and growth of the Prescott-area performing arts scene. Recognized in 2021 by the Prescott Chamber of Commerce for Excellence in Arts and Culture, Arizona Philharmonic is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Ticket information, sponsorship and volunteer opportunities can be found at AZPhil.org. QCBN
By Sandy Farrell
Sandra Farrell is a former broadcast and print journalist. More recently, she was press secretary for elected officials and she retired from the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank as media manager. She and her husband and two dogs moved to Prescott a year ago and love all things Prescott. She is a volunteer with Arizona Philharmonic, AZPhil.org.
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