St. Louis Brass Quintet features ensemble of talent
Published: 2010-10-11
When the St. Louis Brass Quintet opens Northeastern State University's 25th annual Galaxy of Stars series Oct. 10, patrons will be treated to the talent and versatility of five experienced brass players.
Amber Cowan, director of the Galaxy of Stars series, said audiences can expect music from an array of cultures this season.
"St. Louis Brass will kick off our series for music lovers with an extraordinary perspective on brass instruments," said Cowan. "The variety of musical selections will capture the audience's attention."
Comprising the quintet, which performs at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Tahlequah High School Performing Arts Center, are Mel Jernigan, Allan Dean, Ray Sasaki, Thomas Bacon and Daniel Perantoni.
Jernigan is a founding member and executive director for St. Louis Brass, which was formed in 1964 by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to perform concerts for area children. He was bass trombonist for the St. Louis Symphony and is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. He is a recording and television producer and an arts manager. He has served on committees and boards of the Missouri Arts Council, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, Young Audiences St. Louis, Summit Brass and Summit Recordings.
Dean is a professor with the Yale University School of Music. He has performed with the New York Brass Quintet, the New York Cornet and the Sacbut Ensemble. His freelance concert and recording career has allowed him to work with such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky. A trumpet player, Dean also plays cornetto for Calliope: A Renaissance Band. He has performed in numerous music festivals and has taught at the Eastman School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Indiana.
Trumpet player Sasaki is a professor of music at the University of Texas. He is a founding member of the Tone Road Ramblers, a consortium of composers and performers who commission and perform new pieces only. The group has been a resident ensemble since 1993 at the Ragdale Foundation artist colony in Lake Forest, Ill. Sasaki has commissioned new works for trumpet with the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, for the International Trumpet Guild and the Jazz Members Orchestra of Chicago.
Bacon is a recording artist and horn soloist. He has held principal horn positions with the Syracuse, Detroit, Houston and Berlin Radio symphonies. He has also been a principal guest for the Berlin Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Chicago and Fort Worth symphonies. He has performed on five continents and been a featured soloist on international tours with the Amati Ensemble, the Berlin Radio Orchestra and Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project. He is editor of "The Complete Hornist" series for the Southern Music Company.
Perantoni is a professor of music at the University of Indiana. He is a tuba soloist, clinician, chamber musician, instrument designer and master teacher. He has been a featured artist at Carnegie Hall, the Monterey Jazz Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, the Adelaide Festival in Australia, the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, the Montreux Brass Congress in Switzerland and as a soloist in Japan. With Robert Tucci, he designed the "Perantucci" line of low brass instruments and mouthpieces now popular with low brass players worldwide.
The St. Louis Brass Quintet specializes in classical chamber music, but plays pieces from across several genres and creates a relaxed and informal atmosphere for the audience.
Prior to the Galaxy of Stars concert, a welcome recital featuring NSU Faculty Brass Quintet will begin at 1:30 p.m. Immediately following the St. Louis Brass Quintet's performance, SLBQ will hold a master class for elementary and secondary students followed by instrumental workshops with the NSU FBQ. Admission to the performances is $6 per student and the master class and workshops are free to participants. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Reservation forms for the post-show workshops are available at the Sequoyah Institute Box Office.
Individual ticket prices are $20 for adults, $18 for NSU alumni, $16 for NSU employees and seniors 60-over, $10 for students and $6 for NSU students. Season and "favorite four" ticket packages are available. To reserve tickets or to rsvp to the post-show workshops call 918-458-2075. For more information visit www.nsuok.edu/si.
The Galaxy of Stars series is made possible through the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-America Arts Alliance and the Oklahoma Arts Council.