The 22nd Gramercy Brass Band Camp has just come to an end in New York state where 40 young musicians enjoyed five days of dedicated teaching, rehearsals and encouragement provided by over 30 faculty members.
Founded in 1982, Gramercy Brass of NY, Inc. is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing concerts and music performance opportunities led by acclaimed professional brass and percussion instrumentalists in the New York and New Jersey area.
Leads
The guest conductor was Dr. Tom McCauley, Director of Bands at Montclair State University, and a long term supporter of the programme.
Clinicians included trombonist Burt Mason, who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and numerous Broadway productions, Chris Leslie, a member of the United States Military Academy at West Point Band and Professor of Euphonium at Montclair State University, and Bill Dunn, a retired member of the United States Navy Band and now serves as Professor of Music at Shenandoah University.
Concert
The week culminated in a concert that showcased the progress made by the talented students, featuring works as diverse as Dave Brubeck's 'Unsquare Dance', Randall Standridge's 'Earth Dawn' and Elmer Bernstein's 'The Magnificent Seven', to Dvorak's 'New World Symphony' and Joseph Turrin's 'May the God of Hope Go with Us'.
This year's recipient of the Tom Pinto Euphonium Chair was Rocco Falcone, a student from Bergenfield High School. The award recognises musicianship and overall excellence.
Extraordinary team
Reflecting on another successful course, a spokesperson said: "A week like this is only possible because of an extraordinary team working behind the scenes. Our sincere thanks go to our outstanding faculty, student assistants, parent volunteers, administrative staff, and the many friends of GBBC whose enthusiasm, flexibility, and commitment created a welcoming environment where every student could thrive.
Their dedication is one of the reasons Gramercy Brass Band Camp continues to be such a special place."
