Connaught Brass Ensemble

 Colyer-Fergusson Hall, 20^th November 2022, 3.00pm

 Ensemble

A “thrilling young ensemble at the start of what is sure to be a major international career” (Great Birmingham Brass Fest)

Connaught Brass are quickly making a name for themselves as a fresh talent in the chamber music world. Having already made their debut at the Lucerne Festival and London’s Wigmore Hall, the ensemble’s ability to manipulate and unify sound earned them 1st Prize in the Inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition (2019) and the Royal Overseas League Mixed Ensemble Competition (2022). Vibrant, spirited and bold, Connaught Brass place emphasis on their friendship with one another to showcase their individual musical personalities within a unique collective sound.

Prior to their Philip Jones Competition win, the group won the Worshipful Company of Musicians Brass Ensemble Prize in 2018 and travelled to France shortly after to participate in the music festival Ferrandou Musique. They returned to the same festival in 2019 and 2021. More recently, the quintet have become Artists of the Tillett Trust, City Music Foundation and Kirckman Concert Society, and attended the prestigious Britten Pears Chamber Music Residency in March 2022.

Recent notable engagements include a tour of Switzerland in 2021, recitals at Societá Filarmonica Trento (Italy), St Martin-in-the-Fields, St George’s Bristol, The Great Birmingham Brass Fest, where they performed a new commission alongside Onyx Brass, St James’ Piccadilly, Investec International Music Festival and Lake District Summer Music Festival, as well as performing live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune programme.

Their ever-growing repertoire spans 500 years, from renaissance to contemporary works, across a large range of genres. The ensemble also take great pride in undertaking and building their outreach work, including that supported by the Worshipful Company of Musicians and the Cavatina Trust.

Having been principal players in the European Union Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestras of Great Britain, Scotland, and Wales, members are now appearing on the professional circuit. This includes freelancing with the London Symphony, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, English National Opera, Opera North, Welsh National Opera and Ulster Orchestras, as well as recording with and supporting artists such as Bruno Mars, Stormzy, Jamie Cullum, Rag‘n’Bone Man, Hazel Iris and Gregory Porter.

Connaught Brass’ ambition is to explore and share the broadest range of musical repertoire with as wide an audience as possible, bringing brass chamber music to the forefront of today’s musical world.

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