Canadian Brass

Canadian Brass
Canadian Brass
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, RCA Victor Opening Day Entertainment Group;
Members	Charles Daellenbach; Jeff Nelsen; Achilles Liarmakopoulos; Joe Burgstaller; Ashley Hall-Tighe;
Past members	See members section

The Canadian Brass is a Canadian

Toronto, Ontario, by Charles Daellenbach (tuba) and Gene Watts (trombone), with horn player Graeme Page and trumpeters Stuart Laughton and Bill Phillips completing the quintet. As of August 2023, Daellenbach is the sole original member in the group, with the other members being trumpeters Joe Burgstaller and Ashley Hall-Tighe,^[1] hornist Jeff Nelsen, and trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos

.

The group is known for the use of humor in their live performances and an irreverent attitude that includes their signature attire of formal black suits with white running shoes. They have performed internationally and have recorded more than 130 CDs and DVDs. They have commissioned, performed, and recorded hundreds of transcriptions and original works for brass quintet. Canadian Brass has a library of more than 600 compositions and arrangements written specifically for them.

The quintet was named the "one of the most popular brass ensembles in the world" in 2015 by

CBS Sunday Morning

, and Hunan TV in China.

History

The Canadian Brass originally included "Ensemble" in its name, but in 1971, the Hamilton Philharmonic's then-music director Betty Webster suggested that the quintet should be officially named the Canadian Brass.

Canadian Brass made its American debut at the

Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1975. A significant international visit was made in 1977 when they were sent to mainland China as a cultural exchange between Canada and China.^[3] The ensemble was chosen and sent on this cultural mission by then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. They are now remembered in China as the first Western musicians allowed into China after the Cultural Revolution

had suppressed Western art and music.

In 1979, the Canadian Brass became the first chamber ensemble to solo the MAIN stage at

SONY, Philips Decca, Steinway Label and Opening Day Entertainment occupying virtually all the spots open to brass players. As of 2018, the Canadian Brass recordings have been released by Toronto-based Opening Day Entertainment Group (ODEG)

, headed by the Daellenbachs.

The first recordings the Brass created were for the CBC radio transcription service, including their very first major concert in Toronto the summer of 1971. Record producer Eleanor Sniderman discovered the group and put the group on its first commercial LPs in 1973 and 1974, which then attracted major artist management in New York City. In 1977, the same year the Brass represented North America in the People's Republic of China, a live radio broadcast on WQXR was heard by multi-Grammy award-winning producer Jay Saks, who was impressed, and brought the group to the prestigious

RCA Red Seal

label. The ensemble was then scouted by CBS records, soon to be Sony, where they recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony brass players, establishing a repertoire that is now standard for expanded brass ensembles.

When the group's former manager, Costa Pilavachi, assumed the post of "Head of A&R" at Philips Records in the Netherlands, he lured the Brass to his new label, establishing a new European presence for the group. In 1992, the Brass returned to RCA, releasing fourteen albums in eight years, including Bach's Goldberg Variations, for which the group won a German

Echo

award.

Stuart Laughton founded Opening Day in 1993, as a recording company specializing in Canadian performers and compositions (five JUNO nominations and a win resulted). By 2003 Laughton was seeking a partner for the heavy work load, and in talks with Chuck Daellenbach agreed to share, then relinquish control. Daellenbach extended the scope of the company, creating Opening Day Entertainment Group and entering into partnership with producer Trey Mills later that year. Mills signed over to Mary Beth Daellenbach in December, 2007. Opening Day Entertainment Group remains an independent recording label now directed by Mary Beth Daellenbach. As of 2014 ODEG has released over 70 CDs for artists in a variety of genres.

Members

Current

Charles Daellenbach – tuba (1970–present)
Jeff Nelsen – French horn (2001–2004, 2007–2010, 2018–present)
Achilles Liarmakopoulos – trombone, euphonium (2011–present)
Joe Burgstaller – trumpet, piccolo trumpet (2001–2004, 2007–2009, 2023-present))
Ashley Hall-Tighe — trumpet (2023–present)

Past

Trumpets
- Stuart Laughton – trumpet (1970–1971, 2003–2005)
- Bill Phillips – trumpet (1970–1972)
- Ronald Romm – trumpet, piccolo trumpet (1971–2000; "Trumpet Dream Team", 2006–2010)
- Fred Mills – trumpet, piccolo trumpet (1972–1996; died 2009)
- Jens Lindemann – trumpet, piccolo trumpet (1996–2001)
- Ryan Anthony – trumpet, piccolo trumpet (2000–2003; "Trumpet Dream Team", 2006–2010; died 2020) ^[5]
- Charles Lazarus – trumpet (2005)
- Justin Emerich – trumpet (2005–2006)
- Jeroen Berwaerts – trumpet ("Trumpet Dream Team", 2006–2010)
- Brandon Ridenour – trumpet ("Trumpet Dream Team", 2006–2010; 2009–2013; 2019-2022)
- Manon Lafrance – trumpet ("Trumpet Dream Team", 2006–2010)
- Chris Coletti – trumpet (2009–2019)
- Caleb Hudson – trumpet, piccolo trumpet (2013-2023)
- Fabio Brum – trumpet (2022–2023)
French Horn
- Graeme Page – French horn (1970–1983)
- Martin Hackleman – French horn (1983–1986)
- David Ohanian – French horn (1986–1998)
- Christopher Cooper – French horn (1998–2000)
- Bernhard Scully – French horn (2004–2007, 2013–2017)
- Eric Reed – French horn (2010–2013)
Trombone/Euphonium
- Gene Watts – trombone, euphonium (1970–2010)
- Keith Dyrda – trombone, euphonium (2010–2011)

Timeline

Awards and honours

Their awards range from three honorary doctorates to Grammy, Canadian Juno and German Echo recording awards.

Founding member Daellenbach was appointed to the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour, in 2014.^[6] In accepting this appointment, he said, "not only do I accept this appointment for my family and myself, but on behalf of the incredible colleagues that accompanied me on this unbelievable musical journey... firstly Watts, Mills, Romm, Page and Ohanian and now the '2nd generation' colleagues of today!"^{[citation needed]}

Their album Canadiana was a

Juno Award nominee for Instrumental Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023.^[7]