Professor performers: Mirari Brass Quintet coming to campus

Local brass musicians and music-lovers alike will find themselves awakened as the Mirari Brass Quintet visits campus later this month. The Quintet, made up of music professors from across the country, will be in Tiffin for four days at the end of March as guest artists of the School of Music & Theatre. During their stay, they will be offering their expertise to Heidelberg students as well as interested community members, and will be performing two concerts. 

The Mirari Brass Quintet will perform a concert on Friday, March 25, at 7 p.m., in Ohl Concert Hall, Brenneman Music Hall. They will also perform with the Heidelberg Symphonic Band on Saturday, March 26, at 7 p.m., at Trinity United Church of Christ. Both performances are free and open to the public. As of now, masks are required indoors and social distancing will be observed.

On Saturday morning, they will also be leading a career-building session, “Coffee and Careers” that is open to both students and the community. In this session, they will be discussing branding and entrepreneurship. This will take place in Pancoast Recital Hall, Brenneman Music Hall, at 11 a.m.

Engaging and eclectic, the Mirari Brass Quintet brings a spirit of joyful collaboration and innovation to music spanning many centuries and genres. Commissioned for multiple new works for brass, the group performs a spectacular tight-rope act, balancing intensity with levity and refined virtuosity with pure fun. They have performed in over 30 states and internationally. Currently, they have two albums available for listening, Spires (2012) and Renewed, Reused, Recycled (2018). 

Mirari is unique in that as well as being outstanding performers, they also share a passion for music education and are all college music professors. The group relishes and seeks out extended time to interact with musicians by leading masterclasses, offering group and individual instruction, presenting clinics, and through their podcast, Mirari: UNMUTED. Through their educational endeavors, the quintet examines all aspects of life as an artist and helps foster the development of complete musicians.

The Mirari Brass Quintet was formed in 2009 and is comprised of Matt Vangjel, professor of trumpet at Louisiana State University; J. Peyden Shelton, professor of trumpet at the University of Utah; Jessie Thomas, professor of music at the University of Tennessee Martin; Sarah Paradis, associate professor of trombone and euphonium at Boise State University; and Steph Frye-Clark, assistant professor of tuba and euphonium at East Tennessee State University.