The National Brass Ensemble is comprised of the finest brass players in major orchestras across the United States. There are twenty-six members most of whom currently hold principal positions in the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Repertoire includes excerpts from Giovanni Gabrieli's innovative Sacrae symphoniae (1597), arranged for this ensemble by San Francisco Symphony trombonist Tim Higgins, and the debut of Music for Brass, a new work by celebrated film composer John Williams.

Generously supported by Oberlin alumnus Dr. Joseph Markoff and his wife Phyllis, the recording has been inspired by an historic, Grammy Award-winning recording, The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli, featuring the legendary brass ensembles of the Chicago Symphony and the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras. It has been long admired as the

definitive modern performance of Giovanni Gabrieli's works.

National Brass Ensemble:

Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone, New York Philharmonic

David Bilger, Principal Trumpet, The Philadelphia Orchestra

Jeffrey Curnow, Associate Principal Trumpet, The Philadelphia Orchestra

Marc Damoulakis, Principal Percussion, The Cleveland Orchestra

Nitzan Haroz, Principal Trombone, The Philadelphia Orchestra

Randall Hawes, Bass Trombone, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Tim Higgins, Principal Trombone, San Francisco Symphony

Thomas Hooten, Principal Trumpet, Los Angeles Philharmonic

Mark J. Inouye, Principal Trumpet, San Francisco Symphony

Richard King, Principal Horn, The Cleveland Orchestra

Massimo La Rosa, Principal Trombone, The Cleveland Orchestra

Adam Luftman, Principal Trumpet, San Francisco Opera and Ballet orchestras

James Markey, Bass Trombone, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Chris Martin, Principal Trumpet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Michael Martin, Trumpet, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Jennifer Montone, Principal Horn, The Philadelphia Orchestra

Michael Mulcahy, Trombone, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Gene Pokorny, Principal Tuba; Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Thomas Rolfs, Principal Trumpet, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Mike W. Roylance, Principal Tuba, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Michael Sachs, Principal Trumpet, The Cleveland Orchestra

James Sommerville, Principal Horn, Boston Symphony Orchestra

Yasuhito Sugiyama, Principal Tuba, The Cleveland Orchestra

Robert Ward, Principal Horn, San Francisco Symphony

Gail Williams, former Associate Principal Horn, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Paul Yancich, Principal Timpani, The Cleveland Orchestra