Department of Music

The fourth annual UVA BrassFest was a glorious and inspirational two day event featuring the ten piece brass ensemble New Chicago Brass. Events began on Friday night, March 16 with an informative and educational New Chicago Brass open dress rehearsal, open to the students and the Charlottesville community. Saturday March 17 was jam packed with exciting events, highly benefiting our brass students at UVA. The day started with a two hour masterclass for our brass students. New Chicago Brass coached our student brass chamber ensembles, a brass quintet and a trombone quartet and also worked with individual brass students on trumpet, trombone and horn. Following the masterclass was an opportunity for our UVA students and faculty members to join New Chicago Brass for a rehearsal on two Giovanni Gabrieli pieces that they would later perform together that evening. The day culminated with a magnificent concert showcasing our UVA brass faculty and students and featuring the brilliant sounds of New Chicago Brass.

A fresh take on the classic style, New Chicago Brass (NCB) represents the cutting-edge generation of high-quality brass performance in Chicago. Since its inception in 2012, the ensemble – in various combinations of trumpets, horns, trombones, and tuba – has amazed audiences throughout the Chicagoland area with its resplendent sound and virtuosic playing.

The BrassFest and concert by the New Chicago Brass were made possible by support from the Eleanor Shea Music Trust.