The autumn 2016 season of the Music for Miles chamber series begins with Olympic Brass, a traditional brass quintet with a repertoire spanning five centuries, a wide variety of styles and a rich palette of instruments. The ensemble will honor September 11 with arrangements of patriotic favorites and other beautiful pieces written for brass quintet. As always, M4M concerts are free and open to all ages. Olympic Brass will perform in the Creative Space of Waterloo Arts (397 E 156th Street entrance). The current gallery exhibit “Without Commercial Interruption” can be viewed during intermission or after the concert. Refreshments are available at the adjoining Callaloo Cafe.
Creative Space at Waterloo Arts
397 E 156th Street (orange door)
Olympic Brass
Dr. Amanda Bekeny, trumpet
Eric Dina, trumpet
Greg Hillis, horn
Eric Rowles, trombone
J.c. Sherman, tuba
Program:
Star Spangled Banner (Traditional – Francis Scott Key)
Die Bankelsangerlieder (anonymous; ed. Robert King)
Canzona per sonare No. 3 (Giovanni Gabrieli)
French Military March (Camille Saint-Saens, arr. Dick Stacey)
2nd Suite in F (Gustav Holst, arr. David Sabourin and Greg Hillis)
Sonata Pathetique (Beethoven, arr. Eric Rowles)
The Entertainer (Scott Joplin, arr. Arthur Frackenpohl)
Norwegian Dance (Edvard Grieg, arr. Dick Stacey)
(Intermission)
Movement 3 (Allegro Moderato): Quintet No. 1 (Victor Ewald)
Battle Hymn of the Republic, arr. Stephen Bulla
Armed Forces Tribute, Stephen Bulla
Semper Fidelis March (John Phillips Sousa, arr. Dick Stacey)
Stars and Stripes Forever, Sousa arr. Frackenpohl
Musicians:
Dr. Amanda Bekeny is the trumpet instructor and brass quintet coach at The College of Wooster. She previously taught at Ashland University, where she was the trumpet instructor, brass ensemble director, and lectured a course on musical styles. From 2010 through 2012 Dr. Bekeny oversaw the trumpet studio at The Ohio State University. While at Ohio State, Dr. Bekeny maintained a busy schedule of teaching, conducting, and performing. She led the Ohio State Trumpet Ensemble in performances at the International Trumpet Guild 36th Annual Conference and world premier performances at the OSU Contemporary Music Festival. Dr. Bekeny is a frequent guest performer and lecturer at Ohio high schools and universities, and was a guest recitalist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During her summers, she is a regular clinician and featured performer at the University of Wisconsin Summer Music Clinic and the Wooster Music Camp.
A busy performer, Dr. Bekeny plays in ensembles throughout Northeastern Ohio, including as a member of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, where she is also the Personnel Manager, the Mansfield Symphony, and the Olympic Brass. Dr. Bekeny regularly performs with City Music Cleveland and the Akron Symphony and has also performed with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, Madison Symphony, Madison Opera Orchestra, Wheeling Symphony, Canton Symphony, Wooster Symphony, Kent-Blossom Chamber Orchestra, Metropolitan Brass Quintet, and Columbus Bach Ensemble. She is a former member of the Wisconsin Brass Quintet, RED {an orchestra}, and the Ohio Light Opera Orchestra. A frequent soloist and recitalist, Dr. Bekeny has been featured with The Ohio State University Collegiate Wind Ensemble, Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Ashland University Band, Chagrin Valley Chamber Orchestra, Wooster Symphony, Scot Symphonic Band, Alliance High School Band, Westlake Jazz Ensemble, and Southwest Jazz Festival Ensemble.
Dr. Bekeny graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Trumpet Performance from The Ohio State University, where, as a student of Timothy Leasure, she was awarded the A. Peter Costanza Award for the most Distinguished DMA Document. Following her doctoral studies, she attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a student of David Burkhart. She also holds a Master’s degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a student of John Aley and Alan Campbell. Dr. Bekeny began her career in music at The College of Wooster under the instruction of her longtime mentor and friend, Dr. Jack Gallagher.
Eric Dina (trumpet) holds Bachelor degrees in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. He is the Divisional Music Director for The Salvation Army Northeast Ohio Division and lives in Shaker Heights. Eric has been the conductor of the NEOSA Brass & Chorus since 1999. Prior to his role with The Salvation Army, Eric taught for a year in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and for eleven years at University School, a private school for boys.
Eric has been active as a freelance musician, clinician, composer and conductor throughout the United States. He is co-Principal Trumpet player of the Suburban Symphony Orchestra and has played with the Dayton Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony and Mansfield Symphony Orchestras along with the Blossom Festival Band and Brass Band of the Western Reserve. Eric is also a member of the Olympic Brass Quintet. He has been featured as trumpet or piano soloist in the U.S., Argentina, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, South Africa, and Sweden.
Greg Hillis (horn) Greg Hillis, horn, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Music degree in Music Education and Horn Performance from Kent State University. Since 1995, he has been teaching music at levels ranging from elementary school to college, currently maintaining a large studio of brass students. His students can be found in many select groups in Northeast Ohio including the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, and Contemporary Youth Orchestra. Greg recently joined the faculty at Hiram College as Adjunct Instructor of Brass.
As a performer, Greg has appeared as a soloist with the Mansfield University Wind Ensemble, the Kent State University Wind Ensemble and the Lakeland Civic Band. Mr. Hillis currently serves as Principal Horn of the Firelands Symphony, Principal Horn with Cleveland Opera Theater and Fourth Horn of the Lima Symphony. He is also a member of both the Heritage Brass and Olympic Brass quintets, and is a founding member of Ekklésia Ensemble. Greg has also performed, Cleveland POPS Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony, Ashland, Symphony, and Rabbit Run Theater Orchestra. In addition to his free-lance performing throughout northeast Ohio, he is a published composer and serves as the Director of the Great Geauga County Fair Band and Junior Fair Band.
Greg was born and raised in Chardon, OH, where he lives with his wife, cats, and chickens. The couple welcomed their first child into the world in February.
Eric Rowles (trombone) studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with Tony Chipurn. He has toured the world with Buddy Morrow, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians. Eric has also performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Three Dog Night, Johnny Mathis, Bebe Neuwirth, Michael MacDonald, Michael Bolton, Frankie Valle, Gloria Gaynor, The Fifth Dimension, Bobby Caldwell, and many others. He currently resides in the Cleveland area and is in demand to perform with the Akron, Canton and Youngstown symphony orchestras, Shout!, and with the many shows at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square.
J.c. Sherman may be heard playing tubas, trombones, euphonium, baritone, ophicleide, serpent, cimbasso, trumpet, horn, flute, and many other instruments throughout the Northeast Ohio.
Mr. Sherman has performed as concert soloist and in recital across the country and internationally. At home, he is the Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at Cleveland State University, and Principal Tubist with the Firelands Symphony Orchestra. He was also Principal Tubist of Opera Cleveland/Cleveland Opera.
J.c. has performed with every major ensemble in the region, including the Blossom Festival Band, Cleveland Orchestra, Akron Symphony, Cleveland POPS (for whom he also composes and arranges), Olympic Brass, Heritage Brass, The Night Owls, and is a founding member of the NEOTuba Quartet and the Cleveland Trombone Collective. He records regularly for LudwigMasters Music (where he is also a published composer and arranger). He enjoys working as a clinician and educator throughout the Midwest.
Mr. Sherman is a proponent and performer of 19th century historic low brass instruments. He has performed on his c. 1840 Guichard ophicleide with Robert Page for Verdi’s Requiem, and regularly in his orchestral and chamber performances. As a serpentist, he performs on his inimitable Christopher Monk instrument throughout the Midwest, from solo performances and harmonie to orchestral works, and in church services (for which it was designed). In addition, J.c. makes Rogers Serpent Mouthpieces, and he repairs and copies 19th century brass instruments.
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