Seraph Brass – Program

Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpet
Jean Laurenz, trumpet
Rachel Velvikis, horn
Hana Beloglavec, trombone
Gretchen Renshaw James, tuba

“Prelude” from Holberg Suite, Edvard Grieg 1843-1907 (Arr. Tom Oltarzewski)

“Queen of the Night “Aria from The Magic Flute, W.A. Mozart 1756-1791 (Arr. Jeff Luke)

Three Pieces from Suite Española, Isaac Albéniz 1860-1909 (Arr. Jeff Luke)

Granada
Asturias
Sevilla

Quintet, Michael Kamen 1948-2003

Asteria, Catherine McMichael b. 1954

Andromeda
Virgo
Pleiades

Intermission

Go!, Anthony DiLorenzo b. 1967

“Nessun Dorma” from Turandot, Giacomo Puccini 1858-1924 (Arr. Ivaylo Hristov)

La Virgen de la Macarena, Rafael Mendez 1906-1981 (Arr. Jeff Nevin)

Clair de Lune, Claude Debussy 1862-1918 (Arr. Chuck Seipp)

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Franz Liszt 1811-1886 (Arr. Jeff Luke)

Seraph Brass – Biography

Season Listing | Biography | Program

Seraph Brass is a dynamic brass quintet drawing from a roster of America’s top female brass players. Committed to engaging audiences with captivating programming, Seraph Brass presents a diverse body of repertoire that includes original transcriptions, newly commissioned works, and well-known classics. Seraph will release their debut studio album, Asteria, on Summit Records in January 2018.

Seraph Brass has toured throughout the United States, Mexico, and Europe. They have performed multiple concerts at the Lieksa Brass Week in Finland, and they were the featured ensemble at the International Women’s Brass Conference. Seraph has performed concerts at the Forum Cultural Guanajuato in León, Mexico, Dame Myra Hess Concerts in Chicago (IL), Gettysburg Concert Association (PA), Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach (FL), SUNY Cortland (NY), Jamestown Concert Association (NY), and they have toured extensively as Allied Concert Services artists. Seraph is on the roster of the Manhattan Music Ensemble. They performed with the Rowan University Wind Ensemble, performing Rick DeJonge’s Prelude and Fantasy under the direction of Joseph Higgins. Many members of Seraph Brass have performed with Adele on her 2016 North American tour.

Enthusiastic about education, Seraph has developed strong relationships with Venezuelan “El Sistema” programs in Philadelphia and Washington D.C., performing fundraising concerts for Play-On Philly! and Bridges: Music Through Harmony. Seraph has given residencies at Stephen F. Austin University, University of Virginia, Wittenberg University (OH), Western Illinois Universities, Penn State Erie (PA), and the Dreyfoos School of the Arts (FL). This season they will give residencies and performances at Eastern Illinois University, Marywood University (PA), and Metropolitan State University of Denver (CO) among others.

Committed to commissioning new works, Seraph commissioned and premiered “Wolf” for solo soprano and brass quintet from Philadelphia-based composer, Joseph Hallman. Seraph has commissioned new works by Catherine McMichael and Rene Orth, featured on Asteria. Seraph has also premiered Lucy Pankhurt’s Ouroboros with euphonium soloist Hélène Escriva at the International Women’s Brass Conference. Seraph also has many original arrangements by trumpeter Jeff Luke, featured on Asteria and Seraph Brass Live!

Members of Seraph Brass have performed with such esteemed ensembles as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Musicians from Marlboro, Luzern Music Festival in Switzerland, National Symphony, Brass Band of Battle Creek, Daejeon Philharmonic in Korea, and Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand. They hold positions in the Richmond Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Artosphere Orchestra, Tennessee Tech University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Louisiana State University, University of Richmond, and North Carolina School of the Arts.

Remember: MSO is ‘bonus’ for new signups

The membership sales drive for the 2018-19 season series is well under way. If you know of a music lover who’s a potential candidate to join our subscriber list, don’t forget to sell them on the traditional six-concerts-for-the-price-of-five discount: All new members get free admission to this year’s final performance, the May 5 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert at West High School, in exchange for signing up early.

Blockbuster: June 10 at Garden

Did we mention that there’s even more reason to bring your friends and family to Civic Music’s June 10 “Opera at the Garden” extravaganza? Our hosts at the Green Bay Botanical Garden have a one-of-a-kind touring exhibit in residence this summer. Called “Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks,” by artist Sean Kenney, the exhibit features 16 oversize sculptures crafted from more than a half-million Lego blocks. Come early for the flowers, and the LEGOs. Learn more at https://gbbg.org/natureconnects/.

Praise for pianists; possibility for ‘19

Chris Sampson, board president, reports he heard from a number of very impressed members after the Anderson & Roe concert that Civic Music should bring back the piano duo as soon as possible. (If you missed it, see Warren Gerds’ glowing review.) While there’s no stand-alone piano recital on next year’s series, Civic Music is negotiating for a featured pianist to join the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for a big May 2019 closer at the Weidner.