The Kings of Brass are ready to make the holiday season merry and bright with A Canadian Brass Christmas. This quintet never fails to delight with their winning combination of fabulous sound, engaging wit, popular programming, and top-notch showmanship. A Canadian Brass Christmas includes original arrangements and signature takes on beloved holiday classics such as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas," "Charlie Brown Christmas," "Silver Bells, "Songs of Hanukkah," and “Jingle Bell Rock.” The spirit and sparkle of Canadian Brass has earned them a loyal legion of fans worldwide. “Nothing proclaims celebration and festivity like the sound of brass instruments. And if those instruments are played by Canadian Brass, there is even greater cause for celebration” (Toronto Star).

Led by visionary founder and tuba legend Chuck Daellenbach, the ensemble comprises Caleb Hudson and Fabio Brum (trumpets), Achilles Liarmakopoulos (trombone) and Jeff Nelsen (horn).

THE CANADIAN BRASS

The original challenge was to develop an audience for an ensemble of brass players that, at the time, had no standing in the concert world. What set Canadian Brass apart from all other performing artists in 1970 was the relentless search for repertoire that was both loved by its performers and embraced by a growing brass audience. 

The musical experiences of the members along with the interests and wishes of audiences informed the programs that the group created ranging from Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Joplin, Gershwin and Ellington, to ballet, opera and Schickele. The ensemble never ignored an opportunity to relate to its audience which brought the Brass to international attention. They were at first criticized for talking to audiences and now take pride in seeing the entire concert world embracing engagement as a fundamental element of performance.

The Brass has averaged two and a half full length recordings per year of its 52 years of existence for a total of 138 recordings. They have received a combined total of 24 Grammy and Juno nominations and won the German Echo Award for Goldberg Variations. A North American group taking Bach back to Europe and winning approval at the highest level was a crowning achievement! Most recently during the Covid era the Brass created another award-winning recording, Canadiana. The album features unique arrangements of many Canadian superstars including Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, Bruce Cockburn, Drake and DeadMau5.

Education continues to be at the forefront of Canadian Brass’ yearly activities. There are over one million Canadian Brass quintet repertoire books in the hands of students in every country with a strong brass tradition. Between Hal Leonard Music Publishing distributing its 800 unique individual brass titles and SmartMusic now making available some 76 titles for mixed ensemble use, the Brass continues to shape the future of chamber music ventures.

For a comprehensive Canadian Brass biography, blend together the complete history of any random five musician ensemble and it will yield a year in the world of Canadian Brass. “We’ve created ballets, played Carnegie Hall, toured China during its 1977 reopening, and performed in front of five prime ministers, but most importantly performed for more than ten million friends, family and audiences worldwide so far. We did all this so we could play Bach,” says tubaist & founder Chuck Daellenbach. 

Caleb Hudson, trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugel horn

The front line of a brass quintet relies on extraordinary trumpets performers. So of course, the finest trumpet player in the world is ours: Caleb Hudson. If an ensemble somewhere in the world is about to program the exceedingly delicate and challenging Brandenburg Concerto #2, Caleb has become first call. A recognized scholar of the trumpet and its repertoire, he spends his time between Brass tours as professor of trumpet at the University of North Texas. Caleb is also recognized as a videographer, a film director, and an authority on espresso.

Fábio Brum, trumpet

Brazilian born Fábio Brum is an international trumpet artist and newest member of Canadian Brass. He has lived and studied in five different countries and appeared in more than thirty countries as a soloist, orchestral performer and teacher. During his career, he won several prizes and awards including the Cittá di Porcia International Competition, the Prague Spring International Competition, International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition and many others. Fábio’s debut album, EGREGORE+ is a combination of his exclusive new compositions and arrangements. He is an active collaborator and exclusive artist of the distinguished musical instruments company STOMVI, based in Valencia, Spain.

Jeff Nelsen, horn

The instrument formerly known as French Horn stands at the center of a brass quintet. There is not a concert performed by Canadian Brass anywhere in the world where Jeff Nelsen is not surrounded by professional Horn colleagues and former students. He was recently President of the International Horn Society. There is no better-informed Hornist than Jeff, he has played in just about all of the major symphonies in North America, performed in the music of computer games, toured with John Legend and played in the Broadway pits in New York.

Achilles Liarmakopoulos, trombone

Definitely not Canadian (yet!) Achilles Liarmakopoulos is the historian of Canadian Brass. He can recite every piece recorded by Canadian Brass, when it was recorded, and its differences and similarities to repeated recordings of the same work. The Greek Freak of trombone has three prestigious classical music degrees but spends his spare time investigating, performing, and filming Latin music. Recently he mentioned to his Brass colleagues that they should watch a televised Pink Martini performance at Madison Square Garden – and there was Achilles’ soloing on the gigantic jumbotron!

Dr. Conrad Charles (Chuck) Daellenbach, O.C., DMA (hon.), Doctor Litterarium (hon.), Doctor of Music (hon.), PhD (paid in full), tuba

Every social organization needs a bookkeeper, manager, spokesperson, humorist, and critic, so while Canadian Brass has been looking for these people through the years, founder Chuck Daellenbach has been filling in.  Growing up in a musical family tradition Chuck had to sing in choirs, play cello (only one year unfortunately), and take up the tuba to help his dad fill all the positions in his band. Since these musical activities had taken up all his time there was little left for higher math and physics – off to music school! It was at the Eastman where he learned the art of taking every opportunity that knocks, the tiger’s roar on tuba and, after forgetting to leave upon graduation, went on to earn a doctorate at age 25. It was then off to Toronto to head up the brass department (two of us) and meet Eugene Watts, forming one of the most impressive entertainment teams since the Marx Brothers.