Synergy Quintet
Encyclopedia
Synergy Brass Quintet is a group of five brass musicians based in Boston
, Massachusetts
. They formed in 1996, and are known for their performances of a variety of musical genres, from classical to ska
and everything in between. Synergy was also the Quintet-in-Residence at Boston University
's Tanglewood Institute. They perform both in concert settings, many times at festivals such as Ravinia and Tanglewood, and at individual schools as part of their educational outreach efforts.
The group draws its influence from groups such as Canadian Brass
, Empire Brass
, Boston Brass, Proteus 7, American Brass Quintet
, and The Skatalites
.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. They formed in 1996, and are known for their performances of a variety of musical genres, from classical to ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
and everything in between. Synergy was also the Quintet-in-Residence at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
's Tanglewood Institute. They perform both in concert settings, many times at festivals such as Ravinia and Tanglewood, and at individual schools as part of their educational outreach efforts.
The group draws its influence from groups such as Canadian Brass
Canadian Brass
The Canadian Brass is a brass quintet founded by Dr. Charles Daellenbach and Gene Watts in 1970. In addition to maintaining a heavy international touring schedule, the Canadian Brass have recorded over 80 CDs and DVDs...
, Empire Brass
Empire Brass
The Empire Brass is a brass quintet from the United States. Current members include:* Rolf Smedvig, trumpet* Marc Brian Reese, trumpet* Michelle Perry, French horn* Mark Hetzler, trombone* Kenneth Amis, tuba...
, Boston Brass, Proteus 7, American Brass Quintet
American Brass Quintet
When the American Brass Quintet gave its first public performance on December 11, 1960, brass chamber music was still relatively unknown to concert audiences...
, and The Skatalites
The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...
.
Current members
- Bobby Thorp- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Eric Braunstein- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Jon Hurrell- hornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
- Jordan Witt- tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Tristan Eggener- tubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
Former members
- Mark Broschinsky- trombone
- Adam Pijanowski- tuba
- Bo Clifton- trombone
- Chris O'Hara- trumpet
- Greg Lloyd- trumpet
- Jesse Chavez- tuba
- Takatsugu Hagiwara- tuba
Discography
- Masterworks for Brass from the Baroque and Renaissance (Aural Assault, 2004)