Connaught Brass
Friday 14 November 2025
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
This programme reflects the core of Connaught Brass: reshaping and breathing new life into the brass quintet tradition through new commissions and bold arrangements, blended with a deep respect for the genre’s roots and heritage.
It features a brand-new commission by Dani Howard, supported by the City Music Foundation, Vaughan Williams Foundation and Kirckman Concert Society, and is preceded by the Baroque sound world of Rameau’s majestic and opulent opera Dardanus, arranged by long-term collaborator William Foster. The concert closes with Victor Ewald’s Quintet No. 4 – an epic, yet often overlooked, four-movement work from one of the founding voices of the brass quintet genre.
Together, these pieces speak to Connaught’s ongoing mission – to expand the quintet repertoire, collaborate with leading musical voices and bring fresh energy to brass chamber music.
Jean-Philippe Rameau arr. Foster Selections from Dardanus
Dani Howard 2025 Commission
Victor Ewald Quintet No.4
I – Allegro commodo
II – Allegro
III – Andantino
IV – Allegro con brio
Aaron Akugbo
Harry Plant
Zoë Tweed
Chris Brewster
Aled Meredith-Barrett
“TECHNICALLY ASTONISHING, ECLECTIC IN REPERTOIRE, AND PREPARED TO EXPLODE CLICHES OF WHAT BRASS CHAMBER MUSIC SHOULD SOUND LIKE” – THE ARTS DESK
Winners of the Inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition and the Royal Overseas League Competition, Connaught Brass seek to redefine how brass chamber music is perceived. Blending a deep respect for the genre’s rich heritage with a fresh, youthful perspective, their performances are not only marked by vibrance and boldness, but with warmth and approachability, reflecting the strong camaraderie at the heart of the ensemble. Through brand-new commissions, audience-favourite arrangements and a commitment to originality, Connaught Brass breathe new life into tradition, offering a unique and engaging concert experience with the ultimate goal of bringing brass chamber music to the forefront of today’s musical world.
The Connaught’s have shared their music-making widely across the UK and Europe at venues including London’s Wigmore Hall, the Lucerne Festival, De Doelen Rotterdam, Societá Filarmonica Trento, the Barbican, Snape Maltings, Kings Place, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St George’s Bristol, Hidden Doors Arts Festival Edinburgh and Music for Wexford Ireland. Additional highlights include performing live on radio from the Concertgebouw’s Spiegelzaal and regularly on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune programme.
The 25/26 season will see the group make debuts in Norway and Belgium, tour Scotland, continue the run of their audience-favourite Christmas programme following its premiere at the Barbican in December 2024, alongside an extensive performance schedule across the rest of the UK.
Dates, Times & Book
| Fri 14 Nov | 1:00 PM | £10 | Book |
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