Gaudete Brass, Quintet

Biography

     Trumpets - Bill Baxtresser and Ryan Berndt

     Horn - Jean McCullough

     Trombone - Paul Von Hoff

     Tuba - Scott Tegge

 Founded in 2004, the Gaudete Brass Quintet is devoted to presenting serious chamber music at the highest level of excellence and to encouraging worldwide appreciation of the art of chamber music on brass instruments through live performances, recordings, education and the creation of new works.  The quintet is committed to expanding the brass quintet repertoire, commissioning works by noted composers David Sampson, John Cheetham, Jan Bach, Stacy Garrop and Rob Deemer as well as working with emerging young artists through programs such as the advanced composition course at Columbia College-Chicago.  The GBQ is also dedicated to historically informed performances of Renaissance music, creating and performing their own editions of these works. 

They have performed in many prominent concert venues, including Merkin Hall in New York City, the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts Chamber Music Series and Millennium Park’s Onstage at Noon.  The quintet has served as Artist-in-Residence at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  They have performed on live radio broadcasts on the “Live in Studio C” program on Nashville Public Radio, the 21st Century Classical program on WMSE in Milwaukee, and Kenosha Public Radio. 

The Gaudete Brass has collaborated with many accomplished organists on brass and organ programs as well as creating perhaps the world’s first collaboration of brass quintet and theremin with classical theremin virtuoso Randy George.  The quintet has had the privilege of performing the National Anthem at MLB, NBA and WNBA games.  The GBQ has also performed Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Brass Quintet and Wind Ensemble, Shadowcatcher, with the Saint John's University/College of Saint Benedict's Wind Ensemble and the Carthage College Wind Orchestra.  Gaudete has presented performances and educational programs on tour to a number of universities colleges and conservatories including The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Vanderbilt University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame, among others.

In 2006, the Gaudete Brass released its first CD (featuring André Previn's Four Outings for Brass), which was honored with the CDBaby Editors’ Choice distinction and nominated for the 2009 Just Plain Folks Best Classical Chamber Album.  The quintet will soon release a recording with organ, Conversations in Time, on the Pro Organo label. To find out more about the Gaudete Brass Quintet please visit our website at www.gaudetebrass.com.