Brass of the RCO

The Brass of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra ensemble was formed more or less by chance in 2003 when the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra decided to skip its annual American tour; the American Friends of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra saw their chance and invited the brass players of the orchestra to give concerts and master classes in the USA. After a successful tour to New York and Philadelphia with master classes at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Juilliard School in New York, the players decided to continue giving concerts as a complete section.

The aim of the Brass of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is to demonstrate the versatility of brass instruments in terms of repertoire and instrumental combinations to both the general public and to music students by means of concerts and master classes. The forces used vary from small groups to large ensembles of around twenty players, with percussion also being used on occasion.

The original idea for this album came from the Prix de Salon, an incentive prize for young musicians from the Concertgebouw Orchestra that must be used for their further musical development. The prize was initiated in 2005 by the Salon, a group of young professionals from prominent firms who wished to support the younger members of the orchestra in particular. Ivan Meylemans was the first winner of this prize and saw it as a way of planning a recording of lesser-known repertoire by well-known composers for the Brass of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as well as of providing further encouragement for the ensemble and its good internal relations.