| Many brass quintets sound similar due to the repertoire they choose, but nowhere else can you hear the staple repertoire of the Innovata Brass! Dr. Sanae Kanda has written a plethora of wonderful music exclusively for Innovata. The style that Dr. Kanda writes in is very much like a movie composer. Her pieces each have an individual character to them that distinguishes one from the next. Dr. Kanda's music is immensely popular with Innovata Brass audiences. Listen to the audience's reaction by clicking HERE.
Although Innovata's home is in Boston, Massachusetts - the people that make up the group are top talent from around the country. The musicians have performed around the world and have appeared with such renown organizations as the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops, Boston Ballet, Key West Symphony, Springfield Symphony, the Jazz Composer's Alliance Orchestra and other world class ensembles in many genres. The wide range of experience that each person brings to the group compliments the versatile repertoire Innovata presents.
Innovata places special emphasis on education. All of the musicians have their own private music studios and/or hold college level teaching positions. Wherever they travel, Innovata, always tries to make themselves available to young audiences.
Listen for yourself to what makes Innovata a unique brass group!
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August 6, 2009
Trios and quintets top rate in Chamber and Vesper series
Categories: Concert Reviews, Festblog, Music, Musikfest
By Philip A. Metzger
Special to The Morning Call
Bethlehem, PA
INNOVATA
Brass again, this time in the more intimate confines of the Old Chapel. Innovata Brass, a quintet of two trumpets, trombone, french horn, and tuba, is based in Boston, and has appeared at Musikfest before. This group has its own composer, Sandae Kanda, who also happens to be married to the quintet's quite remarkable tuba player. In the Wednesday Chamber Series concert, the quintet played a set of her music, which proved to be listenably tuneful, with a harmonic base in pop and movie music. I found her use of pulsating notes on the tuba in the piece called "On a Beautiful Winter Day" an effective and imaginative transition device between sections.
The quintet also played, among the other pieces, a spirited William Tell (i.e. Lone Ranger) Overture, music by Bach originally for organ, selections from Handel's Royal Fireworks and Renaissance dances by Tielman Susato. Towards the end of the concert, the tuba player mentioned that the legendary Fats Waller was, in addition to his blues piano playing, also a tubaist. He then proceeded to sashay up and down the aisle playing an unaccompanied blowsy "Black and Blue" by Waller. In the process he brought forth sounds from his instrument that made me think there must be such a thing as a castrato tuba. But no, it was just a really fine player showing that his instrument was capable of far more than one realizes.
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