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Australian Baroque Brass is one of Australia's finest early music ensembles. Founded in 2003, the ensemble is dedicated to the pursuit of musical excellence on authentic or period instruments. Based in Sydney under the artistic directorship of trumpeter and scholar John Foster, Australian Baroque Brass gives numerous performances each year to audiences throughout Australia and Internationally.
Australian Baroque Brass has pioneered the use of period brass instruments in Australia and has been responsible for giving Australian premiere performances (on period instruments) of works by such composers as Biber, Altenburg, Vejvanovsky, Caldara, Schutz, Praetorious and many others. This dynamic ensemble performs a vast repertoire of European music from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth centuries, with the ensemble varying in size from solo recitals with continuo through to full orchestral performansces. Typically, the ensemble performs with Natural Trumpets, Cornetts, Sackbuts, Natural Horns, Timpani, Vocalists and Organ/Continuo. Australian Baroque Brass also regularly features guest performances by well known international and Australian artists as well as collaborations with other professional ensembles and choirs such as Crispian Steele-Perkins, Michael Laird, Sara Macliver, the Choir of St James', Adelaide Chamber Singers, Choir of Christchurch St Laurence, Ensemble of St James', Sydney Consort among others.
Australian Baroque Brass has made several recordings which include the critically acclaimed CD series "Music of a Golden Age, Vol.1" (Tubicium Records), Vol.2 "Revolution" and the soon to be released Vol.3 "Trumpets of the Realm" as well as numerous live recordings for national broadcast on ABC Classic FM. In 2009 ABB recorded a premiere work by composer Graham Koehne called "the voyage" which was broadcast live at the dawn service at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli (Turkey) before an audience of many tens of thousands. More recently Australian Baroque Brass has performed at such festivals as the Adelaide Festival, Canberra International Chamber Music Festival, the Australian Trumpet Guild National Conference, the New England Bach Festival, the Island Brass Academy, and has also toured to South Australia performing at St Peters Cathedral and the Elder Conservatorium, along with performances in Newcastle and Tasmania along with performing numerous other concerts throughout Sydney, NSW and Australia.
In 2008 Australian Baroque Brass undertook an extensive concert tour of the USA performing in numerous venues in Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Australian Baroque Brass has recently had the pleasure of accepting an invitation to become the ensemble in residence at St James' Anglican Church, King St Sydney, where from 2006 to 2008 ABB performed their annual concert series. ABB also performs annually as part of the St James’ Orchestral Masses.
2010 sees Australian Baroque Brass in high demand once again, as the world celebrates the 400 year anniversary of Monteverdi’s "Vespers" with this splendid work being performed several times throughout Australia. ABB has also accepted invitations to perform at the 2010 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Sydney and in the Sydney Mozart Society’s 2010 Concert Series.
To read what has said about Australian Baroque Brass in the media, please visit our press page.
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