About the Mirari Brass
Engaging and eclectic, the Mirari Brass Quintet brings a spirit of joyful collaboration and innovation to music spanning many centuries and genres. Commissioners of multiple new works for brass, the group performs a spectacular tight-rope act, balancing intensity with levity and refined virtuosity with pure fun.
Founded in 2009, Mirari has performed extensively across the United States, forging connections with audiences through lively and polished performances. The group has performed and presented in 35 states on concert series as well as residencies at numerous universities including Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Utah, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, University of Iowa, Cornell University, and many more. Mirari has also been featured at a number of major conferences and festivals including the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, the International Trombone Festival, and the International Trumpet Guild Conference. In 2017, the group made its first international trip to China, performing concerts and presenting educational programs in Beijing, Haerbin, Dalian, and Chongqing.
Since its inception, Mirari has added nearly two dozen works to the brass quintet repertoire, with group members also contributing a number of arrangements and original compositions. Their debut album, Spires, adventurously contextualizes works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, re-imagines jazz standards, and features their commission from Rome Prize-winner and Guggenheim Fellow Eric Nathan. Their second album, Renewed, Reused, Recycled, features music not originally written for brass quintet and was released by Summit Records in 2018.
Beyond the recording studio, Mirari initiated a consortium between numerous universities and The Ohio State University Wind Symphony, which resulted in Clint Needham’s In These Hallowed Halls, a four movement concerto for brass quintet and wind ensemble. Their most recent project is a Chamber Music America Residency grant to partner with Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless and Community of Note based in Baton Rouge, LA.
In addition to their commitment to outstanding performance, the members of the Mirari Brass Quintet share a unique passion for music education and are all collegiate professors of music. The group spends extended time interacting with young musicians through masterclasses, group and individual instruction, and specialized clinics. Through their educational endeavors, the quintet examines all aspects of life as an artist and helps to foster the development of complete musicians. Individually, the group members have been on faculty at colleges, universities, music festivals and camps all over the United States and overseas. As a way to share their knowledge and experiences with musicians and music lovers alike, Mirari created a podcast, Mirari: UNMUTED, available on Spotify and iTunes.
As a central tenet of the group, and by their name’s definition, all Mirari members share an admiration and respect for each other as performers, educators, and human beings.
Founded in 2009, Mirari has performed extensively across the United States, forging connections with audiences through lively and polished performances. The group has performed and presented in 35 states on concert series as well as residencies at numerous universities including Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Utah, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, University of Iowa, Cornell University, and many more. Mirari has also been featured at a number of major conferences and festivals including the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, the International Trombone Festival, and the International Trumpet Guild Conference. In 2017, the group made its first international trip to China, performing concerts and presenting educational programs in Beijing, Haerbin, Dalian, and Chongqing.
Since its inception, Mirari has added nearly two dozen works to the brass quintet repertoire, with group members also contributing a number of arrangements and original compositions. Their debut album, Spires, adventurously contextualizes works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, re-imagines jazz standards, and features their commission from Rome Prize-winner and Guggenheim Fellow Eric Nathan. Their second album, Renewed, Reused, Recycled, features music not originally written for brass quintet and was released by Summit Records in 2018.
Beyond the recording studio, Mirari initiated a consortium between numerous universities and The Ohio State University Wind Symphony, which resulted in Clint Needham’s In These Hallowed Halls, a four movement concerto for brass quintet and wind ensemble. Their most recent project is a Chamber Music America Residency grant to partner with Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless and Community of Note based in Baton Rouge, LA.
In addition to their commitment to outstanding performance, the members of the Mirari Brass Quintet share a unique passion for music education and are all collegiate professors of music. The group spends extended time interacting with young musicians through masterclasses, group and individual instruction, and specialized clinics. Through their educational endeavors, the quintet examines all aspects of life as an artist and helps to foster the development of complete musicians. Individually, the group members have been on faculty at colleges, universities, music festivals and camps all over the United States and overseas. As a way to share their knowledge and experiences with musicians and music lovers alike, Mirari created a podcast, Mirari: UNMUTED, available on Spotify and iTunes.
As a central tenet of the group, and by their name’s definition, all Mirari members share an admiration and respect for each other as performers, educators, and human beings.
Mirari Brass Personnel
Joe Cooper is currently the trumpet professor at Oklahoma State University. Before his currently position, he served on the faculties of the University of Texas- San Antonio and Texas Lutheran University. Cooper has performed as a freelance artist for over 20 years in Texas and Oklahoma appearing with the Houston Grand Opera, Austin Opera, Austin Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and for popular artists, too, including Peter Gabriel, Kristin Chenoweth, and Belle and Sebastian at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. His passion for chamber music has led to collaborations as a member of the Mirari Brass Quintet (miraribrass.com), and the Composite Brass Duo. (http://www.josephcoopertrumpet.com/composite-brass).
Cooper has presented masterclasses and clinics for universities and pre-college schools across North America. He has performed as a guest artist at conferences for the North American Saxophone Alliance, the International Saxophone Symposium, the College Music Society and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG). Currently, he serves ITG on the book reviews committee, but has also been a conference reporter and served on the Conference Artist Committee, helping plan the ITG Conference in 2018. He adjudicates, too, and has judged for the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest, the Missouri State Solo and Ensemble Contest, and the National Trumpet Competition in both high school and college divisions. Former private students have been accepted and attended Colburn, Indiana University, SMU, Baylor, among other notable schools and have auditioned into the top chairs in the National Youth Orchestra, NYO2, and the TMEA All-State orchestra, bands and jazz band.
Cooper holds degrees from Indiana University- Bloomington (BM), Rice University (MM), and the University of Texas at Austin (DMA). Hear recent performances and more on his websitehttp://www.josephcoopertrumpet.com/. Joe is also a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Cooper has presented masterclasses and clinics for universities and pre-college schools across North America. He has performed as a guest artist at conferences for the North American Saxophone Alliance, the International Saxophone Symposium, the College Music Society and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG). Currently, he serves ITG on the book reviews committee, but has also been a conference reporter and served on the Conference Artist Committee, helping plan the ITG Conference in 2018. He adjudicates, too, and has judged for the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest, the Missouri State Solo and Ensemble Contest, and the National Trumpet Competition in both high school and college divisions. Former private students have been accepted and attended Colburn, Indiana University, SMU, Baylor, among other notable schools and have auditioned into the top chairs in the National Youth Orchestra, NYO2, and the TMEA All-State orchestra, bands and jazz band.
Cooper holds degrees from Indiana University- Bloomington (BM), Rice University (MM), and the University of Texas at Austin (DMA). Hear recent performances and more on his websitehttp://www.josephcoopertrumpet.com/. Joe is also a Yamaha Performing Artist.
J. Peyden Shelton is currently the Associate Professor of Trumpet at the University of Utah. Before his currently position, he has served on the faculties at the University of Rochester and Cornell University. Peyden has performed as both soloist and ensemble member with numerous groups including the Utah Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Washington Concert Opera, Symphony Number One, New World Symphony and Salt Lake Symphony. He also is a member of several chamber ensembles including Fifth Bridge (fifthbridge.org), the Mirari Brass Quintet (miraribrass.com), and Nova Trumpet Collective (@novatrumpets).
Peyden has a respected reputation as a clinician having presented for universities, schools, and conferences all over the world. He serves on numerous committees for the International Trumpet Guild including as the Chair of the ITG Orchestral Excerpt Competition. Peyden has written several articles for the ITG Journal and has been a featured presenter at their International Conferences.
Peyden holds degrees from Virginia Tech (BA), the University of Miami (MM), and the Eastman School of Music (DMA). He can be heard on Summit Records, SNOtone Records, Mark Records, and in the 4th Edition of the Samuel Adler’s The Study of Orchestration textbook by W.W. Norton & Company. Dr. Shelton is also a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Visit Peyden's website.
Peyden has a respected reputation as a clinician having presented for universities, schools, and conferences all over the world. He serves on numerous committees for the International Trumpet Guild including as the Chair of the ITG Orchestral Excerpt Competition. Peyden has written several articles for the ITG Journal and has been a featured presenter at their International Conferences.
Peyden holds degrees from Virginia Tech (BA), the University of Miami (MM), and the Eastman School of Music (DMA). He can be heard on Summit Records, SNOtone Records, Mark Records, and in the 4th Edition of the Samuel Adler’s The Study of Orchestration textbook by W.W. Norton & Company. Dr. Shelton is also a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Visit Peyden's website.
Katy Ambrose is the Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Iowa. In addition to teaching, she is an active soloist and chamber musician, and has held orchestral positions with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, New Orchestra of Washington, Victory Hall Opera, Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Philly Pops, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Albany Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic (KY) and performed as a guest musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic, Orchestra Iowa, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Detroit Chamber Winds, Pennsylvania Ballet, Hawai’i Symphony and Opera, Chamber Music Honolulu, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Harrisburg Symphony, Vermont Symphony and the New Haven Symphony. During the Summers she taught at Kendall Betts Horn Camp, Curtis Young Artist Summer Program, the All-State at Interlochen and NOW SummerFest.
A passionate chamber musician, Katy currently plays with the University of Iowa faculty brass quintet, the Lanta Horn Duo, and Conica, a transcontinental natural horn quartet. She was a co-founder of Seraph Brass and Izula Horns, was a member of the Philadelphia Chamber Brass, and has performed extended guest artist stints with District 5 wind quintet as a Featured Artist for the Virginia Arts Festival, and with Rêlache New Music Ensemble as a Resident Artist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
A passionate chamber musician, Katy currently plays with the University of Iowa faculty brass quintet, the Lanta Horn Duo, and Conica, a transcontinental natural horn quartet. She was a co-founder of Seraph Brass and Izula Horns, was a member of the Philadelphia Chamber Brass, and has performed extended guest artist stints with District 5 wind quintet as a Featured Artist for the Virginia Arts Festival, and with Rêlache New Music Ensemble as a Resident Artist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Trombonist Sarah Paradis is the Associate Professor of Trombone and Euphonium at Boise State University. Paradis earned her B.M. in Music Education from Ithaca College, her M.M. in Trombone Performance from Indiana University, and her D.M. in Brass Pedagogy from Indiana University. An avid orchestral musician, Paradis has been a member of the Richmond Symphony (IN), Springfield Symphony Orchestra (OH), and the Ohio Valley Symphony. She has also played with the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra, Spokane Symphony, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Boise Philharmonic, Boise Baroque Orchestra, Opera Idaho, Akron Symphony (OH), and the Owensboro Orchestra (KY). She was a prizewinner in the Susan Slaughter Solo Competition, and was awarded the Trombone Fellowship at the Aspen Summer Music Festival. Paradis practices yoga daily and incorporates the benefits of yoga and meditation into her own performance and teaching. Her “Yoga for Musicians” masterclass helps high school and college students explore the many ways in which yoga can augment their musical journey. Paradis is an S.E. Shires performing artist and lives in Boise with her family. To learn more, visit Paradis’s website.
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Chris Dickey (they/them) enjoys a varied career as a performer, teacher, composer, and speaker. They have performed throughout the United States, South America, and Asia. Chris is currently Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Washington State University. In addition to teaching tuba and euphonium, they teach LGBTQ+ music courses, coach chamber music, conduct the tuba choir, and perform in faculty ensembles. During the summer Chris is on the faculty of the Red Lodge Music Festival in Red Lodge, MT.
As a Miraphone Performing Artist, each year Chris travels to perform recitals and teach master classes at universities and high schools around the country. They enjoy cultivating the next generation of educators, performers, composers, and entrepreneurs. Chris’s five solo recordings have garnered critical acclaim from the brass community. Composers in the United States and abroad have written works for Chris, including Zachery Meier, Nicole Chamberlain, Fernando Deddos, Juantio Becenti, brin solomon, Katahj Copley, to name a few. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Chris also performs regularly with the Anonim Trio and the In Motus Tuba Quartet. Chris holds degrees from Northwestern University (DM), the University of Iowa (MA), and Eastern Illinois University (BM). To learn more about Chris, please visit their website (chrisdickeytuba.com). |