Concordia College is bringing the brass to celebrate Women’s History Month this March, hosting a performance by the women-only Athena Brass at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 27, in the Christiansen Recital Hall of the Hvidsten Hall of Music.
Athena, named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, draws its performers from a list of more than 200 brass musicians from around the world — including Concordia’s own assistant professor of trumpet and director of Jazz Ensemble II, Dr. Erika Izaguirre, one of the six musicians performing on March 27.
“Every time I perform with Athena, I get to make music with my incredibly talented friends, and because the roster is always changing, I inevitably end up making new friends,” Izaguirre said.
The group’s setup is unusual. When a performance venue is found, Athena then draws a selection of musicians for that specific performance, who then rehearse and perform together as an ensemble.
The roster is wide-ranging, with college professors and public school music educators, conductors, music therapists, a sound engineer, a music publisher and a composer, as well as a nuclear physicist, a biologist, a sociologist, an MBA and an author. Their music credentials are equally diverse, including former and current members of the U.S. Army Band, the U.S. Coast Guard Band, Brass Band of Battle Creek, and the New Sousa Band.
Athena champions the advancement of women musicians and composers by forging pathways for emerging artists but also by commissioning and promoting new works and arrangements, including some by Athena musicians themselves.
“I actually picked the entire program, so I am excited about all of the pieces,” said Izaguirre, who will play the trumpet during the concert. “Perhaps one of my favorites is ‘City Stroll,’ composed by Athena cornetist Jennifer Oliverio. The piece is meant to depict a dog’s joyous stroll through a city park with some rude interjections by meddling squirrels. My dog’s walks get derailed by squirrels every summer, so I think of him when I play this piece.”
Alongside her work at Concordia, Izaguirre is an active solo performer, teacher, and clinician and has commissioned and premiered new works in Minnesota, New York, and abroad. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music and maintains a focus on helping young musicians and composers from underrepresented communities by elevating their voices and providing resources.
“Playing with Athena is a particularly gratifying experience, as it is quite common in college and professional ensembles to be the only woman — or one of few women — in the brass section,” Izaguirre said. “Most touring brass chamber ensembles at the moment are comprised entirely of men, and it makes me proud to be part of Athena, an ensemble that is boldly doing the opposite, with a very high level of professionalism and expertise.”
The other five Athena musicians performing at Concordia also have significant musical experience and credentials:
- Dr. Stacy Simpson, a Grammy Award-winning trumpeter, serves as assistant professor of trumpet and director of bands at Bellarmine University. Her career spans orchestral, chamber, commercial, and solo performance across the U.S. and internationally, and she performs regularly with the Louisville Orchestra.
- Emelie Pfaff, originally from Sweden, will play the horn. She holds a Master of Music in French horn performance from Colorado State University and has been an avid brass bander since joining the Fountain City Brass Band in 2011. Pfaff is an avid advocate for women in brass playing and the music manufacturing industry.
- Dr. Danielle VanTuinen, a performer, educator, and entrepreneur based in Florida, will play the euphonium. She is currently associate professor of tuba and euphonium and directs the University of Florida Brass Band. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University and is co-founder of the Moreau | VanTuinen Duo.
- Dr. Karen Marston, trombonist, educator, and conductor, will play trombone at the Concordia concert. She serves as chair of music, director of the wind ensemble, and professor of trombone at Mt. San Antonio College, Los Angeles, and is also director of the International Trombone Festival.
- Heather Ewer, a freelance tuba player and educator currently based in New York City, will play the tuba. She maintains private tuba and euphonium studios both at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and at Molloy University, Long Island, where she is an adjunct instructor. She plays in a wide array of ensembles from brass bands to orchestras.
The concert will include a variety of music, such as Ewer’s arrangement of “Golden,” from “KPop Demon Hunters” and Marston’s arrangements of Lauren Bernofsky’s “Two Latin Dances” and Lili Boulanger’s “D’un Matin de printemps.”
Tickets for the Athena Brass concert can be purchased at ConcordiaCollege.edu/CulturalEvents for $24 for adult general admission, $22 for senior general admission, and $10 for student general admission. Concordia faculty, staff, and students will be admitted free with ID at the door.
The Athena Brass concert and residency is in conjunction with Concordia’s annual High School Honor Band and Honor Jazz Band Festivals, set for March 27-29. For more information about Honor Band, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/HonorBand.
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