Some of the best brass and percussion players in the United States come together for “Brass for Uncommon Times”
Ensemble directed by Brian Kaufman performs 21st century works by a global roster of composers, including Valerie Coleman, Barbara York and Félix Mendoza
Released July 24, 2026 on Naxos
Brass for Uncommon Times – an all-star collective of 40 top-notch brass and percussion performers – announces its debut album, released July 24, 2026, on Naxos (8.579190).
Brian Kaufman directs this outstanding ensemble in works by composers from the United States, Canada, Japan, and Venezuela. Composers include Valerie Coleman, Barbara York, Félix Mendoza, Satoshi Yagisawa, Katahj Copley, and Harrison J. Collins.
“These pieces confront societal division, racial injustice, gun violence, global health crises and war, while also searching for hope, resilience and connection,” writes Kaufman in the program notes. “From quiet reflection to bold, urgent passages, the music moves between struggle and celebration, tension and release.”
The album opens with Coleman’s “Fanfare for Uncommon Times”, which was written in response to the overlapping crises of the pandemic and the racial unrest of 2020, and uses the same instrumentation as Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man." Other highlights include York’s Tuba Concerto “Wars and Rumors of War” and Félix Mendoza’s rousing “Guerra de Secciones,” for brass and percussion, which draws on the rhythms and sounds of Venezuela.
Featured artists include Velvet Brown, an internationally renowned tuba player who has performed around the world and is featured on four solo albums and as soloist with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra; Hiram Diaz, vocalist for the Marine Latin Jazz Ensemble; and celebrated Venezuelan-American percussionists Fran Vielma and Daniel Prim, a Latin Grammy-award winner.
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD of "Brass for Uncommon Times" led by Brian Kaufman. Links to the digital album are below.