Bramwell Tovey to visit NYBBS
The Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA) is delighted to announce that members of the three bands of The National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) have an especially exciting summer course ahead of them this year at the University of St Andrews from 30th July - 4th August. In addition to receiving an invitation to perform a concert at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival on Friday 3rd August and the chance to participate in an educational collaboration with tutors from NYCOS (The National Youth Choirs of Scotland); members of NYBBS will also have the pleasure of working under the baton of renowned conductor, composer and pianist, Bramwell Tovey, who will be attending as a guest conductor during the course, together with the NYBBS regular Musical Director, Richard Evans.
Course Director, Neil Cross commented: "We are always looking for new ways to develop and enhance the NYBBS summer courses and this year promises a wide range of new and exciting opportunities across all three bands. The collaboration with visiting tutors from NYCOS will introduce a refreshingly different musical learning, which has proved highly beneficial in many other forms of music. Moving then to the concert performance by the premier NYBBS members at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival - it is a huge honour to be invited to this festival and is true recognition of the high standard our musicians have achieved. When these events, together with the expertise of the tutors and conductors of all three bands, are then combined with the attendance of Bramwell Tovey, I am sure that our young musicians will be looking forward to 6 days of exciting musical opportunities."
Andrew Duncan, Development Manager for SBBA added: "This year's courses look set to offer the participants a wonderful variety of new initiatives, and I am sure Bramwell Tovey's attendance will have a huge impact on the young musicians. Described as ‘A musician of striking versatility' and being a Grammy Award winning conductor and composer, we were absolutely delighted that he was able to find time in his extremely busy schedule as Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Conductor of the New York Philharmonic's Summertime Classics series to attend this year's NYBBS course and we thoroughly look forward to introducing him to our talented groups of players."
SBBA fully encourages brass and percussion musicians aged between 11 and 21 of all levels from Grade 3 upwards to seize the opportunities the NYBBS courses can offer them in the development of their personal musicianship, learning amongst likeminded enthusiasts from world-renowned tutors and conductors. Enrolment forms are available from www.nybbs.co.uk or by contacting Neil Cross, Course Director at ncrosslanark@aol.com.
The National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) was formed in 1958 to offer young brass and percussion players a platform of excellence to which they could aspire. Since then, it has established itself with a reputation of developing some of the finest brass and percussion musicians in the world.
In addition to smaller individual initiatives and projects, the flagship events for the bands of The NYBBS are its residential summer courses. Providing an ideal environment of opportunity for the musicians, the courses mix an abundance of enjoyment, friendship and team-building with a united focus on trying to achieve the best of each individual's ability through encouragement, guidance and high quality tuition.
A total of three bands are now available to offer players of all abilities, from Grade 3 upwards, aged between 11 and 21, an opportunity to become involved with one of the most inspirational youth brass band initiatives in Scotland.
The Children's Band
The Children's Band provides a wonderful opportunity for younger (aged 13 or under), inexperienced players to enjoy the pleasures of rehearsing and performing in a full band of likeminded enthusiasts. Working in conjunction with The Reserve Band, they are led by Gordon Evans and supported by a team of dedicated and experienced tutors.
The Reserve Band
The Reserve Band, under the leadership of John Boax, plays host to another talented group of young musicians who are well on their way to reaching the high standards required by The NYBBS. It offers its members plenty of inspiration, support and opportunities to progress, making it an ideal stepping stone into The NYBBS.
The National Youth Brass Band of Scotland
The National Youth Brass Band of Scotland is the premier level youth band and demonstrates the extraordinary musical talent that is available from the youth of Scotland and beyond. Under the baton of Richard Evans and supported by tutorial staff which include Lyndon Baglin, Les Neish, Brian Taylor and Lesley Howie, the summer course offers the country's finest young musicians a unique opportunity to learn from the best.
Further information can be obtained from the official website at www.nybbs.co.uk.
Bramwell Tovey
A musician of striking versatility, GRAMMY® Award winning conductor Bramwell Tovey is acknowledged around the world for his artistic depth and his warm, charismatic personality on the podium. Tovey's career as a conductor is uniquely enhanced by his work as a composer and pianist, lending him a remarkable musical perspective. His tenures as music director with the Vancouver Symphony, Luxembourg Philharmonic and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestras have been characterized by his expertise in operatic, choral, British and contemporary repertoire.
Mr. Tovey who is entering his twelfth season as Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony, also continues as Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and as founding host and conductor of the New York Philharmonic's Summertime Classics series at Avery Fisher Hall. In 2008, both orchestras co-commissioned him to write a new work, the well-received Urban Runway, which has also been premiered in Canada.
An esteemed guest conductor, Mr. Tovey has worked with orchestras in the United States and Europe including the London Philharmonic, London Symphony and Frankfurt Radio Orchestra. In North America, Mr. Tovey has made guest appearances with the orchestras of Baltimore, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Seattle and Montreal as well as ongoing performances with Toronto, where his trumpet concerto, commissioned by that orchestra received its premiere in winter of 2009 as a preview of his first full-length opera "The Inventor" premiered in Calgary in winter 2011. To his already busy summer schedule in 2011 he added debuts with the Cleveland Orchestra and Boston Symphony as well as a return visit to the Philadelphia Orchestra, this time in their summer series in Saratoga, NY.
With a profound commitment to new music, Mr. Tovey has established himself as a formidable composer and is the first artist to win a Juno Award in both conducting and composing. Prior to his music directorship in Vancouver, Mr. Tovey spent twelve years as music director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, where he founded its highly regarded New Music Festival. A significant milestone in the ensemble's exploration of new music, the festival premiered more than 250 works by diverse international and Canadian composers under Mr. Tovey's leadership, with every performance broadcast on Canada's CBC Radio. Mr. Tovey's other accomplishments as a composer include receiving the Best Canadian Classical Composition 2003 Juno Award for his Requiem for a Charred Skull, performed and recorded by the Amadeus Choir and the Hannaford Band in Toronto.
Aberdeen International Youth Festival 2012
Described as "One of the world's biggest celebrations of Youth Arts".
www.aiyf.org
