Axiom Brass
Praised for their “high level of musicality and technical ability”and for their “clean, clear and precise sound”, the award-winning Axiom Brass Quintet has quickly established itself as “one of the major art music groups in brass chamber music.”
Winners of the 2008 International Chamber Brass Competition and prize-winners of the 2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Preis der Europa-Stadt Passau, the Plowman Chamber Music Competition, and the Jeju City International Brass Quintet Competition in South Korea, the Axiom Brass is dedicated to enhancing the musical life of communities across the globe and educating the next generation of musicians.
Axiom’s commitment to education and their blend of virtuosic performances and dynamic teaching have inspired young audiences around the nation, earning the ensemble the 2011 Fischoff Educator Award. Their educational concert “Let’s Make Music” has captivated thousands of elementary and middle school students in the U.S. In 2011 the ensemble was featured as brass quintet-in-residence for the National Brass Symposium, sharing the stage with principal brass players from the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Atlanta Symphony.
Internationally recognized for their groundbreaking programming, their repertoire ranges from jazz and Latin music to string quartet transcriptions, as well as original compositions for brass quintet. Axiom Brass’ performances have captured the hearts and imaginations of their audiences, leading the ensemble to national radio and television appearances as well as concerts in Asia, Europe and across the U.S. Axiom’s dedication to brass repertoire has led the ensemble to commission and premiere several new works, including recent premieres of Celestial Suite by James Stephenson and For Then and Now by Laurence Bitensky. For Celestial Suite, Axiom Brass partnered with the New York Philharmonic Brass Quintet, the Chicago Symphony Brass Quintet, the Chicago Chamber Musicians and the Fischoff Chamber Music Society, as well as with the Digital Visualization Theater of the University of Notre Dame and Professor Keith Davis.
Highlights of Axiom’s past seasons have included: concerts in Germany, Portugal, Spain, South Korea and Japan, a four-week residency at the Grand Tetons Music Festival, the release of their debut album New Standards, a clinic and performance at the 2010 Midwest Clinic, as well as recitals, masterclasses and solo appearances with orchestras and bands around the U.S. In 2012, the ensemble will continue its rigorous concert schedule, taking the group on their first tour of Alaska, Central America, and South America, and will mark their return to Europe and Asia. This season, Axiom Brass will release their next album of the New Standards series, which will include the world premiere recording of Celestial Suite.
The Axiom Brass is an Ensemble-in-Residence at the Music Institute of Chicago and performs exclusively on Mutec Mutes.