Press Kit

Biography

Based in San Francisco, Brass Over Bridges is an ensemble that understands that music is all about connection. Inspired by the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area, we seek to engage audiences with music bridging barriers of style and artistic discipline.

Recipients of the Aspen Music Festival’s “American Brass Quintet Fellowship” and the Cypress String Quartet’s “Cypress Award”, Brass Over Bridges combines the sensitivity and expression of chamber music with with the resonance and color of brass instruments. In addition to their own concert series in San Francisco, Brass Over Bridges has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, The University Of The Pacific, Santa Cruz Symphony’s Spotlight On The Symphony concert series, SF Music Day, Symphony of the Redwoods Opus Concerts, and more.

In 2023, Brass Over Bridges commissioned and premiered Stefan Cwik’s “Transfigurations,” an interdisciplinary work for solo brass quintet with orchestra or wind ensemble, and animated artwork. Cwik’s version for orchestra was premiered alongside the SF Civic Symphony, and the version for wind ensemble was premiered with the wonderful students at the SF Conservatory.

Brass Over Bridges cares deeply about expanding the standard brass quintet repertoire to be more representative of our cultural landscape. The quintet has commissioned works by Julie Barwick, Kevin Day, Lillian Yee, and Hitomi Oba.

In addition to performing concerts, Brass Over Bridges is passionate about supporting students and music education. From collegiate level masterclasses, to performances for middle school students, Brass Over Bridges designs programs to educate and inspire young musicians at all levels.

For individual member bios, click here.

 Recordings

 
 
Their much-deserved encore was full of upbeat pizzazz that had us all grinning from ear to ear. The five charming members of Brass Over Bridges stand out as much for their artistic brilliance as for their contagious enjoyment of the live music experience..
— Fleur Williams, Journalist, Local Santa Cruz
...you all were really fantastic. Great on all accounts, your group’s musicianship and insightful feedback was the best my students have received since I have been here.
— Henry Hung, Band Director, SF School of The Arts

Downloadable Press Photos

Repertoire by genre


This list is illustrates our core material for each genre.

Contemporary Classical

Barwick, Julie - Paths
DiLorenzo, Anthony - Fire Dance
D’Rivera, Paquito - Four Pieces
Esmail, Reena - Khirkiyaan
Higdon, Jennifer - Fanfare
Lutoslawski, Witold - Mini Overture 
Plog, Anthony - Four Sketches
Tower, Joan - Copperwave

20th Century Romantic and Americana

Copland, Aaron - Copland Portrait, arr. Sutherland
Barber, Samuel - Adagio, arr. McNeff
Debussy, Claude - Girl With The Flaxen Hair, arr. Sabourin
Ewald, Victor - Quintet Nos. 1-3
Lafosse, Andre - Suite Impromptu

Pops and Jazz Arrangements

Frackenpohl, Arthur - Glad Rags For Brass Quintet 
Gershwin, George - Three Preludes, arr. Schutza
Giacchino, Michael - The Incredibles, arr. Sutherland
Mercury, Freddie - Bohemian Rhapsody arr. Walton
Mingus, Charles - Goodbye, Porkpie Hat
Williams, John - Krypton Fanfare and March from Superman arr. Moore

Renaissance and Baroque

Albinoni, Tomaso - Sonata St. Mark
Bach, Johann Sebastian - Contrapunctus IX, arr. Glasel
Byrd, William - Ne Irascaris Domine, arr. Orgel
Gabrieli, Giovanni - Canzona Per Sonare No. 1-4, ed. King
Scheidt, Samuel - Canzona Bergamasca
Strozzi, Barbara - Selections from Il Primo Libro de Madrigali