Audience members will listen and learn when the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet presents “Brass Blow-Out,” April 30 at Oak Brook’s Mayslake Peabody Estate.
“We’ll be performing a variety of brass quintet pieces and transcriptions for brass quintet, ranging from the Renaissance period to contemporary music to dance halls,” said principal trumpet Scott MacQuarrie, a 10-year member of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, who will lead the quintet. The concert will offer tunes from as diverse settings as a Medieval castle to a New Orleans speakeasy.
The group will perform around 20 pieces, including Gabrieli’s “Canzone,” “Contrapuncta” by Bach and some Scott Joplin Rags.
“We’ll also be demonstrating a little bit of the history of brass instruments and how they evolved, from conch shells to modern valve instruments,” MacQuarrie said. Audiences will see the musicians play some of these early instruments and learn how they work.
The quintet will include Brian Reichenbach (trumpet), Phil Stanley (horn), Jonathan Houghtling (trombone) and Josh Biere (tuba), in addition to MacQuarrie.
“We have a very fine brass section in the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra,” said Music Director Stephen Alltop, who has led the orchestra since 1995. The orchestra has been in existence for 54 years. “In Mayslake programs, we try to feature different parts of the orchestra. We thought it would be great to feature members of our brass section.”
Both Alltop and MacQuarrie praised the venue.
“The Peabody Mansion is great for any smaller group,” Alltop said. “It gives the audience a chance to be close to the performers. We love making music there.”
“Both the beautiful acoustic setting — the sound of the brass and any ensemble — in this intimate chamber-like chapel on the Peabody Estate makes for great music listening,” MacQuarrie said. “The chapel is also esthetically a delightful place to sit and hear great music.”:
Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet presents, ‘Brass Blow-Out’
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30
Where: Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 31st St., Oak Brook
Tickets: $25; $23 seniors; $7 students
Information: (630) 941-0202; www.elmhurstsymphony.org
