Contemporary Music

Globokar, Vinko

Possibilities for development of brass instruments (1967)

Experimental study by Vinko Globokar on extended techniques for brass instruments, covering microtonality, voice-instrument interaction and new sound production methods.

Stevens, Thomas

I chose to address myself to new music rather than new trumpet

Thomas Stevens argues that progress in trumpet playing depends on better training, repertoire and musical thinking rather than on equipment.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Conversation by the fireside

A fireside conversation with Philip Jones, Elgar Howarth and Michael Laird—an intimate exchange on brass playing, ensemble culture and musical thinking.

Perantoni, Daniel

Contemporary systems and trends for the tuba

New music, new rules: Daniel Perantoni explores extended techniques, graphic notation and the evolving language of the tuba.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Editorial

Between tradition and innovation: brass players must move beyond routine and embrace new musical directions to remain relevant in the music of tomorrow.

Fenigstein, Victor

Scraps of Thoughts and Memories concerning “Passages” for trumpet and strings

Between waiting and movement, Passages reimagines soloist and orchestra—inviting exploration, listening, and the acceptance of the unexpected.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Interview with Miles Anderson

Jean-Pierre Mathez traces Miles Anderson’s path from early training to orchestral and freelance work, expanding on the tension between livelihood and artistic pursuit.

Varasdy, Frigyes

Contemporary Hungarian Brass Music

From early decline to recent revival, Hungarian brass emerges through pedagogy, competitions and new chamber works, with Varasdy outlining key figures and shifting ensemble practices.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Mario Guarneri

Portrait in brief

From San Francisco to New York and Los Angeles, a trumpet career unfolds across major orchestras, recordings and teaching, alongside a sustained commitment to access and contemporary music.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Benny Sluchin

Portrait in brief

Between Paris, Cologne and Tel Aviv, Benny Sluchin brings mathematics, acoustics and contemporary performance into the brass world.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Miroslav Kejmar

Portrait in brief

From Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto to Czech contemporary music, the Prague trumpeter combined Baroque precision with orchestral versatility across Europe.

Ringger, Rolf Urs

Serious Music this Side of the Ghetto

Between Darmstadt serialism and neo-tonality, the place of serious music in society is questioned through Berg, Schönberg and the post-war avant-garde.

Agrell, Jeffrey

The first european horn symposium

A week in Trossingen brought leading horn players, Mozart debates, natural-horn controversies and lasting friendships at a landmark European gathering.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Empire Brass Quintet

Portrait in brief

From New York to Boston, five brass players built a chamber music identity rooted in Ewald, early music and a string-quartet approach to ensemble sound.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Editorial

New editorial formats separate current news from long-form content while creating new links between performers, composers, and the evolving brass community.

Sluchin, Benny

Playing and singing simultaneously on brass instruments

From Weber and Vivier to contemporary solo works, singing into the brass instrument becomes a multiphonic technique shaped by notation, acoustics, and practice.

Sluchin, Benny

Playing and singing simultaneously on brass instruments

From interval production and tone generation to contemporary repertoire, simultaneous playing and singing becomes a demanding extension of brass technique.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Editorial

As music becomes increasingly industrialized, Jean-Pierre Mathez argues for restoring local musical communities where composers, performers and audiences shape a shared identity.

Sluchin, Benny

Playing and singing simultaneously on brass instruments

From Weber's Concertino to Berlioz's chord writing, acoustic principles explain how combination tones emerge from simultaneous playing and singing on brass.

Jones, Philip

1981 Geneva International Competition

Readers Letters

Philip Jones responds to the Geneva 1981 debate, arguing for fairer jury decisions, balanced repertoire, and the enduring value of international trumpet competitions.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Editorial

As concert life shifts away from brass, the future of the instrument depends on artistic standards, thoughtful programming and the commitment of every performer.

Mathez, Jean-Pierre

Editorial

Mass media, record-industry economics and the return of cornet virtuosity collide in a sharp warning about fashion, manipulation and musical independence.

Hübler, Klaus-K.

The Polyphonic Trombone

A suggested notation system

When trombone slide, overtones, breath and valves become independent musical voices, conventional notation reaches its limits and a new system becomes necessary.

Aitken, Thomas

A major chamber music work for brass?

Quintet, by Peter Maxwell Davies

A BBC studio session turns Maxwell Davies’s brass quintet into a test of virtuosity, balance and whether brass could claim a new place in chamber music.

Aitken, Thomas

Melvyn Poore

Tuba britannica

A tuba becomes a laboratory for circular breathing, reeds, strange mutes and music theatre as Melvyn Poore pushes beyond the orchestral role assigned to it.