The Canadian National Brass Project brings together many of Canada’s finest symphonic brass musicians under the artistic leadership of Canada’s premiere horn soloist and conductor, James Sommerville. These brass players representing many professional symphony orchestras from Canada and the United States united for the first time for a week-long musical and educational summit in 2015. The threefold aim of the collective is to commission and premiere new Canadian works, to present educational workshops and masterclasses to Canada’s finest young musicians, and to showcase brass music in a new all-star ensemble comprised of Canada’s best. Our artistic vision is to unite this cross-country array of musicians into one ensemble, and to present performances in all of these regions, with a focus on original works by Canadian composers.

The configuration of the Canadian National Brass Project is of large symphonic brass ensemble, with trumpets, horns, trombones, euphonium, tubas and percussion. Membership represents ensembles including Symphony Nova Scotia, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Orchestre de Grands Ballets Canadiens, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Orchestra London, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.