The American Brass Quintet (ABQ) has landed on our shores for the first time in four decades. Touring nationally, “the high priests of brass” play the Adelaide Town Hall on Thursday 29 May at 7.30pm.
Gordon Forester (@GordonForester) chatted to bass trombonist John Rojak via email about commissioning, how their two newest members were chosen, and career highlights.
How do you audition/interview the skills and personality of new members? As the newest member of the ABQ, did Eric have to go through an initiation?
There’s still time for an initiation! When we select a new member we have a small, invited audition. We are very tied into the brass community in the USA through Juilliard and the Aspen Music Festival, as well as our personal connections. We are based in New York and know there are players that will fit our style in the area already, so it’s rare that we look at someone who would need to relocate.
In the case of our 2 recent openings, we identified a very small group of candidates that we knew quite well and who knew precisely what ABQ does. Each audition was an hour and a half long. The candidate played a solo of their choice, then played with us in a variety of repertoire for which we had provided music well before the audition.
Part of the time was spent chatting in an informal interview to make sure we were getting someone who was excited about our philosophy of promoting brass chamber music. We had fantastic candidates and chose 2 players, Louis and Eric, who will carry the ABQ mission into the next few decades.
How does ABQ’s commissioning process work?
ABQ commissions in a few ways. One is we will identify composers from whom we want a piece and apply for a grant. Another might be a composer approaching us and the composer will apply for the grant. The quintet also has some funds saved to use for commissioning in case other funds are not available and we really want the piece.
The parameters of the new piece are agreed upon and once it’s completed, ABQ will perform it. We encourage portable pieces –preferably for the quintet alone so it’s easy to bring on tour, a suitable length for programming, enough rests so we can play other pieces on our concert. Usually at least 3 performances are required by a grant. Over the years we’ve been very fortunate with the quality of our new works and will play them many times and record them on a CD.
ABQ’s masterclass in Adelaide will be an extraordinary and unique opportunity for brass students to learn from the best. Your commitment to education is as impressive as it is imperative. What seminal moments in your student days shaped the world-class performers that you are today?
John Rojak (bass trombone): My experience of being coached by former ABQ trumpeter Gerard Schwarz. I learned so much about subtleties of music and how to play a brass instrument with sensitivity and nuance.
Eric Reed (horn): Playing Brahms 1st Symphony at Tanglewood Music Festival under Seiji Ozawa in front of 15,000 people.
Michael Powell (trombone): Sitting on stage with my teacher in the Wichita Symphony playing Mahler 3rd. Hearing him play the solo was an incredible inspiration.
Louis Hanzlik (trumpet): Playing Mahler 3rd Symphony at the U of Iowa.
Kevin Cobb (trumpet): Hearing the American Brass Quintet as an undergraduate student. I was inspired by the blend and precision they had. I knew my quintet needed to do better and strived to emulate that example.
ABQ will leave many legacies; concert experiences, recordings, commissions, and inspiration for the next generations of brass players. Are there any other goals left in ABQ’s enormous “bag of tricks”?
We have no different goals than what we’ve had for 54 years, only to keep adding to the repertoire and creating cutting edge, state of the art brass music. A former member once said, “the more we stay the same, the more unique we become.” When we stay the same, it means we’re getting new pieces a few times a year, performing in incredibly varied venues (ranging from Lincoln Center to rural America to Australia), and sharing our knowledge and experience with students around the world.
There happen to be five gentlemen in your quintet. Can you speak to brass’s appeal for the ladies to learn?
There are many extraordinary women brass players around the globe. In fact, a couple of us married good examples! Having a woman in ABQ hasn’t happened yet, but certainly could at one of our auditions. About a third of my 20 trombone students are women. We’ve had wonderful brass players at Juilliard and Aspen who happen to be women. One of my Taiwanese students was actually surprised how many “boys” play trombone in the US!
The Adelaide concert program looks amazing. Who chooses the program for your concerts, and how?
Generally, we choose. However, Musica Viva did amazing research and had several requests from our repertoire. Using those requests, we fashioned two different programs that will have a good flow, be very entertaining and we hope will leave the audiences yearning for more brass chamber music.
The ABQ has toured just about everywhere! Is there anywhere you haven’t played that you would like to?
We really do tend to enjoy every place we go. It’s more about connecting to people than physical locations. That said, other than the next trip to Australia, perhaps South Africa, the Andes, and a concert in Venice’s San Marco Cathedral would be pretty great.
In this incarnation of ABQ, with so many incredible performances and so many accolades; what moments stand out in your ABQ careers?
The reception in Slovakia and the Czech Republic after 9/11 was very moving. When we played Montoverdi’s madrigal “Ah dolente partita” (“Oh sorrowful parting”) in St Bartholomew’s Church in Prague, it was difficult to play to the end. It was an extraordinary moment for us.
Your “day jobs” would have to be considered amongst the best in the world, but have undoubtedly come about through a huge amount of hard work. What have you chosen to give up in order to achieve your goals?
One of us wanted to be an astronaut. Another a football player and yet another a best-selling novelist. One of us was working on solving world peace but had to practice Jay Greenberg’s piece instead.
The American Brass Quintet will perform in Newcastle, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart and Adelaide. Full concert information at musicaviva.com.au/2014
Interview by Gordon Forester (@GordonForester)
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