PRESS

Highlights of the ITG Conftrtnce, Bangkok, Thailand

From Saratov, Russia, the 14-piece Brandt Brass showed their versatility, endurance (both mental and physical), personality and most of all their musicality, in a memorable performance that was one of the highlights of the 2005 Conference. Blend and balance were exceptional in Salvation is Created by Pavel Chesnokov and Jewish Rhapsody, a work written especially for the Brandt Brass by Boris Pigovat, which featured an extended trombone cadenza played beautifully by the group`s leader, Oleg Abramov. Several incredible moments in this concert lifted the audience into the realm of the awestruck. Perhaps the best example of this was in Voice of Asia: Ritual Procession by Adil Bestivaev. This piece was unlike anything this author has seen or heard at a brass concert. The audience was suddenly transported to the mountains of Tibet through the cacophonous calls of the trombones. Oleg Abramov appeared on stage wielding a long-straight natural instrument. If you closed your eyes, it was not a stretch to think that we might have been deep in the mountains preparing for battle!