With a thirty-three year trajectory in the world of chamber music, Spanish Brass (www.spanishbrass.com) is one of the most dynamic and sought-after brass groups on the international musical stage.
Founded in 1989 by five Spanish musicians as an innovative project that quickly gained world renown for performances, educational activities and creative collaborations, Spanish Brass won the First Prize in the 1996 Narbonne (France) International Brass Quintet Competition, the most prestigious event of its kind in the world. Trumpeter Bernard Soustrot said, “Of all the First Prize winners of the Narbonne Competition, the Spanish Brass is the best since the competition was founded in 1986.” In 2017 the group received the I Bankia Music Talent Award in Spain, for the most influential musical artists, and in 2019 they received the Espai Ter de Música Award. They have also been honored with three Carles Santos Awards for their CDs XXX and Mira si hem corregut terres… (2019) and Les Aventures de Monsieur Jules (2020). In 2020 they received the Spanish National Music Award.
Spanish Brass has given hundreds of concerts across the globe, in such prestigious events and venues as the Great American Brass Band Festival; the New York Brass Conference; the Juilliard School of Music, the National Gallery in Washington, DC; Festival de Musique de Radio-France; Granada International Festival; Lucerne Festival; Cheju Summer Festival (Korea); Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (Germany); National Auditorium (Madrid); Palau de la Música (Barcelona); Kalavrita Festival (Greece); International Horn Society, Merano Brass Festival and Trento Philharmonic (Italy); Barcelona Auditorium; Festival de Inverno de Brasília, and countless others.
Spanish Brass has been in the forefront of international music education, giving courses and master-classes with the Spanish National Youth Orchestra. the Youth Orchestras of Catalonia, Valencia, Andalucía and Madrid, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Trumpet Lounge (Japan), the Showa School for Performing Arts (Japan), Lieksa Brass Week (Finland), the Eastman School of Music, University of Georgia, Venezuelan Youth Orchestra, Dartington International Summer School (England), International Winter Music Festival of Brasilia (Brazil), Ibero-American Cultural Festival (Puerto Rico), etc. SPANISH BRASS also runs two major brass festivals in Spain: the SBALZ Festival in Alzira (www.sbalz.com) and Brassurround (www.brassurround.com). They currently teach at the Berklee College of Music campus in Valencia and at the Universidad Europea in Madrid.
A sampling of their international accolades includes: “They are one of the world´s finest brass quintets ranking up there with Empire Brass, Canadian Brass and American Brass” (Greg Alley); “One of the most exciting and artistic brass quintets to come on the scene in recent years … a gloriously brilliant performance” (International Trumpet Guild Journal); “They play with amazing cohesion, and set the highest standard for brass chamber music” (Maurice André, trumpeter); and “I cannot think of a better brass quintet in the whole world” (Christian Lindberg, trombonist).
They have recorded 30 CDs, including the double CD "The Best of Spanish Brass," a disc of Christmas music, and "Puro de Oliva," with flamenco-jazz pianist Chano Domínguez.
