Hot brass in Hamilton

The Hamilton City Brass will host five of New Zealand's superstars of brass music at its Stars of Brass concert.

Musical director Mason Elliot, an extremely talented and accomplished flugel horn musician, has assembled a stellar cast of brass soloists to accompany Hamilton City Brass in its first major concert of the year.

Heading the line-up is Wellington trombonist David Bremner. Principal trombone for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Bremner is a versatile musician having recorded with rock band Crowded House, the Fodens Richardson and Desford Brass Bands in the UK and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, as well as being a founding member of New Zealand's Bonanza Trombone Quartet.

From a musical New Plymouth family, Bremner has ties to the Waikato as his grandfather Dick Edgecombe and two uncles, John and Richard, all top brass instrumentalists, hailed from Te Awamutu.

Auckland-based euphonium player Riki McDonnell is among New Zealand's most prominent soloists. With more than 20 New Zealand open titles on tenor horn, flugel horn, euphonium and baritone, McDonnell has won more titles than any other player during New Zealand's 120 plus years of brass competitions.

The resident itinerant brass tutor at Hamilton Boys High School, Mike Booth, will perform on trumpet. A New Zealander, Booth spent 18 years in the Netherlands where he is perhaps best known as a member of the popular Netherlands Pop group de Dijk. Booth returned to New Zealand in 2007 and is working as a brass tutor, as well as a joint co-ordinator of the Auckland Jazz orchestra.

Auckland-based Andrew Large started playing cornet at age 8 with his local Salvation Army band. At 19, he won the open amateur national title and at 23 he took the prestigious New Zealand cornet champion title. Large has been very successful as a principal cornet player, being leader of eight champion A-grade title winning bands in Australasia.

Completing the line-up is Colin Clark, who has a reputation as one of the finest soprano cornet players to come out of Australasia. Six times junior soprano champion of Australia, open soprano champion at 16, and four NAtional junior champion of championships are among his achievements.

Clark has played principal trumpet with the New Zealand Navy Band and soprano with the New Zealand Army Band.

STARS OF BRASS

Hamilton City Brass with guest soloists.

Saturday, April 21, 7.30pm.

Clarence Street Theatre.

Tickets from Ticketek (service fees apply).

Adults $20, 15 years and under $7.50.