trumpet
Kevin Cobb

Trumpeter Kevin Cobb became a member of the American Brass Quintet in the fall of 1998 and currently serves on the faculties of the Yale School of Music, The Juilliard School, and SUNY Stony Brook. Equally at home in the orchestral realm, he has served as guest principal trumpet with numerous orchestras throughout the United States and performs as Principal trumpet with the Orchestra of St. Lukes, as well making regular appearamces with New York organizations such as the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Originally from Bowling Green, Ohio his first solo CD entitled "One" features an all-American program of unaccompanied trumpet solos on the Summit Label. He holds a BM from the Curtis Institute of Music and an MM from The Juilliard School. 

trumpet
Brandon Ridenour

Stylistically diverse as a soloist, collaborative artist, composer, and arranger, Brandon Ridenour joined the ABQ in 2023. Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan he graduated from The Juilliard School (BM) and immediately began touring with the Canadian Brass. Simultaneously embarking on a solo career, he has been a featured soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Orpheus, Orchestra of St Luke’s, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and many more. On faculty at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and The New School, he is co-director of a performer-composer focused ensemble based in Brooklyn called Founders. He has worked with a diverse array of musicians including Sting, James Taylor, Marvin Hamlisch, Yo-Yo Ma, Esperanza Spalding, Bruce Cockburn, Caroline Shaw, Vienna Teng, and esteemed ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, International Contemporary Ensemble, the Knights, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, yMusic, Publiquartet, amongst others. 

horn
Eric Reed

New York-based horn player Eric Reed joined the American Brass Quintet in 2014. Also a member of the Grammy award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Eric serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School, The New School and New York University. Eric also performs regularly with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and is a former member of Canadian Brass, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect and the New Jersey, Harrisburg, Oregon and New World symphonies. A native of Indiana, he holds degrees from Rice University (BM) and The Juilliard School (MM), and resides in the Bronx with his wife, violinist Sarah Zun and their sons Oliver and Elliot

trombone
Hillary Simms

Hailing from Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador, trombonist Hillary Simms became the first female member of the ABQ. With her 2023 appointment, Hillary joins the faculty of The Juilliard School having previously served on faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Simms performs in both the United States and Canada with the National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company. She gave her solo debut playing the Tomasi Concerto with the National Arts Center Orchestra. Hillary serves on the artistic committee for the Canadian Women’s Brass Collective and is a founding member of the Canadian Trombone Quartet, and the Saltwater Brass Quintet. Hillary holds a BM from McGill University, an MM from Yale University, an AD from The Glenn Gould School Royal Conservatory of Music and is currently pursuing her DMA at Northwestern University

bass trombone
John D. Rojak

John D. Rojak joined ABQ in 1991. He is bass trombonist for the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the NY Pops, among other NY musical institutions. Rojak has shared stages with Leonard Bernstein, Wynton Marsalis, Metallica,  Pope John Paul II, Cab Calloway and countless other performers. He has performed with the NY Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as playing for many Broadway shows and commercial recordings. Besides the ABQ teaching associations at Juilliard and Aspen, he is artist-faculty at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. He has a B.M. from Juilliard and is a longtime New Yorker via the Boston suburbs. Mr. Rojak performs on a custom designed Michael Rath R9 built in 2008.

 

The American Brass Quintet is internationally recognized as one of the premier chamber music ensembles of our time, celebrated for peerless leadership in the brass world. “The most distinguished” of brass quintets (American Record Guide), ABQ has earned its stellar reputation through its celebrated performances, genre-defining commissioned works, and an ongoing commitment to the education of generations of musicians.

A recipient of Chamber Music America’s highest honor, the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award for significant and lasting contributions to the field, the group's rich history includes performances in five continents, a discography of over sixty recordings, and the premieres of over one hundred fifty contemporary brass works. Since its founding in 1960, the commissioned works of esteemed composers have contributed significantly to both contemporary chamber music and the foundation of the modern brass quintet repertoire. Such composers include Elliott Carter, Eric Ewazen, Jennifer Higdon, Anthony Plog, Huang Ruo, David Sampson, Gunther Schuller, William Schuman, Joan Tower, Charles Whittenberg, and John Zorn, among many others. The Quintet’s Emerging Composer Commissioning program, with grant assistance from the Jerome Foundation, produced brass quintets by rising stars Gordon Beeferman, Jay Greenberg, Trevor Gureckis, and Shafer Mahoney. Among the Quintet’s recordings are eleven CDs for Summit Records since 1992 including the latest release, "Perspectives”, featuring four works commissioned for the ensemble.

Committed to the promotion of brass chamber music through education, the American Brass Quintet has been in residence at The Juilliard School since 1987 and the Aspen Music Festival since 1970. Since 2000, ABQ has offered its expertise in chamber music performance and training with a program of mini-residencies as part of its regular touring. Designed to offer young groups and individuals an intense chamber music experience over several days, ABQ mini-residencies have been embraced by schools and communities throughout the United States as well as internationally.

The New York Times wrote that “among North American brass ensembles none is more venerable than the American Brass Quintet.” Through its acclaimed performances, diverse programming, commissioning, extensive discography and educational mission, the American Brass Quintet has created an unparalleled legacy in the brass field.

 

 


Milestones

1960
First performance at Kaufmann Concert Hall
 
1962
Debut recital at Carnegie Recital Hall
 
1970
Aspen Music Festival and School residency begins
 
1974
Elliott Carter commission
 
1987
Appointed Ensemble-in-Residence at The Juilliard School
 
1992
"New American Brass" released; first recording on Summit Records
 
2006
Juilliard centennial: commissions Joan Tower to write for ABQ
 
2010

ABQ 50th anniversary - releases 2CD set of 11 new works for brass

 
2013
Awarded Chamber Music America’s Highest Honor, the Richard J. Bogomolny Award

2018         The American Brass Quintet Seminar@ Aspen begins