Canadian National Brass Project
brass ensemble
The Canadian National Brass Project brings together many of Canada’s finest symphonic brass musicians under the artistic leadership of Canada’s premiere horn soloist and conductor, James Sommerville. These title-chair brass players representing fifteen professional symphony orchestras from Canada and the United States united for the first time for a week-long musical and educational summit in 2015. The threefold aim of the collective is to commission and premiere new Canadian works, to present educational workshops and masterclasses to Canada’s finest young musicians, and to showcase brass music in a new all-star ensemble comprised of Canada’s best. Their artistic vision is to unite this cross-country array of musicians into one ensemble, and to present performances in all of these regions, with a focus on original works by Canadian composers.
The configuration of the Canadian National Brass Project is that of a large symphonic brass ensemble, with six trumpets, five horns, four trombones, euphonium, two tubas and three percussion. Membership represents the following ensembles: Symphony Nova Scotia, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Orchestre de Grands Ballets Canadiens, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Orchestra London, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
James Sommerville, Artistic Director
Stephane Beaulac, trumpet
Karen Donnelly, trumpet
Michael Fedyshyn, trumpet
Paul Jeffrey, trumpet
Larry Larson, trumpet
Benjamin Raymond, trumpet
Robert Weymouth, trumpet
Adam Zinatelli, trumpet
Jessie Brooks, french horn
Patricia Evans, french horn
Julie Fauteux, french horn
Nicholas Hartman, french horn
Florence Ruisseau, french horn
Charles Benaroya, trombone
Steven Dyer, trombone
Gordon Wolfe, trombone
David Pell, bass trombone
Keith Dyrda, euphonium
Sasha Johnson, tuba
Tom McCaslin, tuba
Jonathan Wade, timpani
Robert Slapcoff, percussion
