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When the American Brass Quintet gave its first public per-formance
thirty-nine years ago, brass chamber music was
relatively unknown to audiences. That modest debut, on
December 11, 1960, marked the beginning of an international
concert career for the ensemble that Newsweek calls “the high
priests of brass.”
The ABQ has toured throughout Europe, South America, the
Middle East, Asia and Australia. Recent overseas appearances
include performances at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa
Cecilia in Rome, the 10th Anniversary of the Aspen-Japan Festival in Japan, and at the National Concert
Hall in Taipei. In 1993, ABQ performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on PBS “Live
From Lincoln Center.”
By the end of the 2000-2001 season, the ABQ will have made 45 recordings for a variety of labels
including Albany, Arabesque, BASF, Bridge, Columbia, CR1, Crystal, Cybele, Delos, Folkways, Japan
Victor, MHS, New World, Nonesuch, Serenus, Summit, Titanic & Well-Tempered. ABQ commissions
include works from William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Jacob Druckman, Eric Ewazen, David Sampson,
Gunther Schuller, & Virgil Thomson.
Termed “positively breathtaking” by the New York Times, the ABQ has never wavered in its dedication to
brass chamber music; and with residencies at the Juilliard School and at the Aspen Music Festival, it
continues to develop a rich future for the brass groups of tomorrow.
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