A one-of-a-kind musical group visited the Mannoni Performing Arts Center on the University of Southern Mississippi campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi during the weekend of September 29-30. This group was the world-renowned Boston Brass Quintet.
Ever since its establishment in 1972, the Boston Brass Quintet has captivated audiences across all 50 states and in more than 30 nations around the world. They have become renowned for their innovative fusion of music, seamlessly merging the realms of classical grace with contemporary flair. The Quintet unfailingly pushes the boundaries of musical expression, continually collaborating with contemporary composers to create invigorated arrangements that fascinate audiences. Simultaneously, they actively contribute to the music community by hosting workshops and masterclasses, encouraging the talents of emerging musicians.
Also noteworthy is that the Boston Brass Quintet is a Yamaha Performing Group that exclusively performs Yamaha instruments with mouthpieces by Pickett Brass.
Today, the members of Boston Brass Quintet consists of five members, including trumpeters José Sibaja and Jeff Conner, who are universally acclaimed trumpet players of their generation. French horn player Chris Castellanos has enjoyed a prosperous and diverse musical career. Trombone player Domingo Pagliuca is a Latin Grammy Award-winning trombonist, and in 2020, he was awarded a Latin Grammy for Best Classical Album. Last but not least is tuba player William Russell.
On Friday, the Boston Brass Quintet performed alongside USM’s premier wind band, the Wind Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. During the joint performance, the USM Wind Ensemble, led by director Dr. Catherine Rand, began the evening by playing compositions by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, ‘Procession of the Nobles,’ and ‘March from Symphonic Metamorphosis’ by Paul Hindemith. Graduate conductor Steven Cooler led the wind ensemble in five individual compositions by Jules Pegram, which included ‘The Figueroa Corridor,’ ‘WeHo Tableau,’ ‘Mulholland Nights,’ ‘Nuestro Pueblo (the Watts Towers),’ and finally ‘Off-Ramp.’
The Boston Brass Quintet then performed individually, presenting pieces ‘Introduction and Vivace’ (2013) by Rick Dejonge and ‘Malagueña’ (1928) by Ernesto Lecuona.
Trombone player Domingo Pagliuca recalled his experiences joining the Boston Brass Quintet. “I have been a part of the Boston Brass Quintet for ten years,” he said. “It has been such a beautiful ride and one of the best things I’ve done with my life. The orchestra from the USM Wind Ensemble and us alike were beautiful. The first piece we played was Introduction and Vivace, composed by Rick Dejonge; it was truly beautiful. Later, we concluded with ‘Malagueña’ with the USM Concert Band, and it was fantastic. Everything was amazing.”
The Boston Brass Quintet then concluded their weekend in Hattiesburg by performing with The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band on Saturday, September 30th, at halftime at the USM vs. Texas State game.