KamBrass, the exciting young Spanish brass quintet that came runner-up in the recent Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition, has continued to gain plaudits with its performances in the UK.

Formed in 2017 in their home city of Barcelona, they have been studying together in Luzern where they won the 2022 Swiss Philip Jones Brass Prize.

Over the last few years they have also won awards at high profile competitions in Andorra, USA and Spain as well as gaining acclaim for their adventurous approach to showcasing new works from the widest possible musical inspirations.

Endorsed credentials

Their performances at the Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition held at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire certainly endorsed those credentials.

There they claimed the £5,000 Buffet Crampon Prize with a set that included the serialism based 'Developments' by Dieter Ammann, a work featuring extensive sonic effects and muted colourings. In addition, they also showcased demanding works from Timothy Jackson and Mark Hunziker.

Support

Speaking at the event, Lyndon Chapman of Buffet Crampon said: "We are delighted to be able to support the competition and to see that it continues to inspire brass ensembles from all over the world in the same way as the Philip Jones Ensemble did through their iconic recordings and concert performances.

The sense of musical adventure from KamBrass was marked and we are delighted that they were able to showcase their talents again in London."

With the assistance of competition founder Dr Ursula Jones, the quintet of Guillem Cardona Zaera, Joan Pamies Magrane (trumpets), Maria Servera Monserrat (horn), Xavier Gil Batet (trombone) and Oriol Reverter Curto (tuba) recently made their debuts at the King's Place in King's Cross in London, a multi-arts venue that also gained a reputation for its adventurous programming.

This is another step in our development as an ensemble and a huge boost as we return home to give further concerts in Catalonia, Asturias and Cantabria in the next few weeksKamBrass

Enjoyed

There they performed works by Lutoslawski, Ewald, Rachmaninov, Granados and Bach, enthralling the informed audience.

"We have enjoyed ourselves so much," Joan Pamies Magrane told 4BR. "To do so well in the competition was great, but to also have the support from Dr Ursula Jones to be able to perform in London made it even more special.

We cannot thank her enough for her support and what she does for inspiring young brass musicians and to Buffet Crampon for their support too. The concert was a fantastic opportunity to show what we can do, and it was great to meet Connaught Brass who won the 2019 Philip Jones Competition."

He added: "This is another step in our development as an ensemble and a huge boost as we return home to give further concerts in Catalonia, Asturias and Cantabria in the next few weeks."