The Cedar Presents
An Evening with WISCONSIN BRASS QUINTET
Thursday, February 22, 2024 / Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 7:30 PM
All Ages
Seated
$25 Advance, $30 Day of Show
This is a seated show with general admission, first-come-first-served seating. The Cedar is happy to reserve seats for patrons who require special seating accommodations. To request seating or other access accommodations, please go to our Access page.
General Admission tickets are available online.
listen
ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Wisconsin Brass Quintet is joined by drummer Matthew Endres for an evening of music from around the globe and across an array of styles. From Piazzolla tangos to the Hindustani-influenced music of Reena Esmail to Leonard Bernstein's vibrant and eclectic MASS, this program showcases the virtuosity and versatility of the widely acclaimed WBQ. Brass artistry and an abundance of grooves combine for a dynamic and energetic performance.
WISCONSIN BRASS QUINTET
Regarded as one of the “superb brass ensembles in the USA” (Musicweb International) and praised for “remarkable musicianship and versatility” (International Trumpet Guild Journal), the widely acclaimed Wisconsin Brass Quintet (WBQ) has maintained a position at the forefront of brass chamber music since the group’s founding in 1972. In addition to its regular concert series on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Quintet performs extensively throughout the Midwest and nationally, including appearances in New York at Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Concert Hall. Its players have been members of the Seraph Brass, Empire Brass Quintet, and Meridian Arts Ensemble.
The WBQ’s commitment to commissioning and performing new music has attracted the attention of many renowned composers, including Verne Reynolds, Jan Bach, Karel Husa, John Harbison, and Daron Hagen. The Quintet’s premiere recordings of works by these composers and others can be found on the Summit, Mark, and Crystal record labels. American Record Guide reviewer Barry Kilpatrick writes: “The WBQ is a remarkable ensemble that plays with more reckless abandon, warmth, stylistic variety and interpretive interest than almost any quintet in memory.”
In demand for its engaging educational programs and master classes, the WBQ has presented clinics and residencies at such prestigious institutions as The Juilliard School, the Yale School of Music, the University of Michigan and Northwestern University. The WBQ has hosted several Brass Festivals, featuring concerts, master classes, and seminars held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Guest artists have included Stockholm Chamber Brass,
Western Brass Quintet, Axiom Brass Quintet, tubist Øystein Baadsvik and composer Anthony Plog.
The Wisconsin Brass Quintet, with a graduate student on second trumpet, is one of three faculty chamber ensembles in-residence at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music. Deeply committed to the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea, the group travels widely to offer its concerts and educational services to students and the public in all corners of the state.
Current members of the Wisconsin Brass Quintet are Jean Laurenz and John Wagner, trumpets; Daniel Grabois, horn; Mark Hetzler, trombone; and Tom Curry, tuba.
MATT ENDRES
Born in Sauk City, Wisconsin, Dr. Matthew Endres is the adjunct professor of drum set and jazz history at the University of Wisconsin, and is the UW Marching Band Percussion Coordinator. In addition, he adjudicates music festivals and competitions extensively throughout the United States. He received his bachelor of music degree in drum set at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, his master’s degree in jazz studies from the University of Illinois, and his doctoral degree in jazz studies and ethnomusicology at the University of Illinois. Endres has performed extensively as a bandleader and a sideman in national and international venues. He is the drummer for the international award-winning group Old Style Sextet, which in 2014 placed second in the world-renowned Cotai Jazz and Blues Competition in Macau, China. He has appeared on multiple albums, including It’s About Time (2013) with the Adrian Barnett Septet; the Old Style Sextet self-titled album issued by Blujazz (2014); Chris Beyt’s 120 (2015); The Clark Gibson Studio Orchestra’s record, Bird with Strings: The Lost Arrangements, issued by Blujazz (2015); The Chris Beyt Trio’s, A Trio For Three, issued by Ears&Eyes Records (2020); The University of Illinois Concert Jazz Band’s record, The Music of Pepper Adams (2020); and Places with the group, Gate Check. Endres also currently holds an endorsement with Bopworks Drumsticks, based in Austin, Texas. Endres has worked with talented artists, including, Grammy-award winner, Doc Severinson, Brad Leali, Chris Brubeck, Charles McPherson, Jim Masters, Sharel Cassity, Marquis Hill, Robert Irving III, Frank Gambale, Tom Garling, Víctor García, Michael Blum, Shawn Purcell, Darden Purcell, Oliver Nelson Jr, Jim Pugh, Dave Pietro, Grammy-award winner, Charles “Chip” McNeill, Ron Bridgewater, Dave D’Angelo, Carlos Vega, Larry Gray, Jeff Halsey, Glenn Wilson, Richard Drexler, Mark Colby, Alex Graham, Clark Gibson, Tito Carrillo, John “Chip” Stephens, Joan Hickey, and Adrian Barnett.