Arkansas Brassworks Returns to Concert Nov. 10

Arkansas Brassworks, a Department of Music faculty brass quintet, will be in concert at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11. Their program will be pieces by Bruce Broughton, Michael Kamen, Victor Ewald, Witold Lutoslawski and Clint Needham.

Plans were made for a concert in 2020, but the campus shut down in March, a week and a half before they were set to perform. Rich Rulli, associate professor of trumpet, said they'd considered many new options for the post-pandemic concert, but kept coming back to the original program with a few tweaks.

"The Ewald is from the core cannon of repertoire for brass quintets and (as always) we want students and audiences to enjoy those great pieces from the past," Rulli said. "Ewald was a late 19th/early 20th century Armenian composer, writing very Romantic music. This is my personal favorite of the Ewald four quintets, as it has a great first trumpet part!"

He also said the Kamen piece was added at the suggestion of the visiting assistant professor of horn, Katey Halbert. 

"We've played it before on a program many years ago and loved the way it fit the rest of the repertoire. It's also nice that in many ways it features [Halbert] in her inaugural concert with Arkansas Brassworks. I believe this might be her first campus performance of any kind since joining our faculty this fall."

Halbert says she is excited for her first concert with Arkansas Brassworks. "Working alongside my talented brass colleagues has challenged my musical abilities in the best ways possible. The repertoire for our recital is a great mix of pieces that range from lush and romantic to fast and furious! I've truly enjoyed working with these fantastic musicians and cannot wait to perform with them."

Other members of the group include Benjamin Pierce, professor of tuba and euphonium, Cory Mixdorf, associate professor of trombone, and graduate student Tlaloc Perales.

The concert is free and open to the public but will also be livestreamed on the UARK Music YouTube Channel.