NEBRASKA BRASS GETS NEW PLAYER, EXPANDS SERIES TO OUTSTATE

By John Cutler

These days, survival of music ensembles deals with the bottom line, in more ways than one.  In the case of the Nebraska Brass, that bottom line is Ken Kielniarz, literally. He’s the group’s new tuba player, called a tubist in music circles. The rest of the seasoned quintet remains the same.

Kielniarz isn’t the only thing affecting the ‘bottom line’ according to Dean Haist, Executive Director of the Nebraska Brass and the group’s principal trumpet player.  Haist told the Star City Blog that his upcoming brass concert season will include several new venues. 

In fact, the number of services, or concert performances, increases from 15 to 22, with additional events in Cozad, Hastings, Blair, Aurora, Wahoo and Elkhorn. Places like Seward, Fremont, Bellevue, Beatrice and Grand Island have all hosted previous Nebraska Brass concerts, and they’re included again this year.

Lincoln and Omaha churches will feature Nebraska Brass concerts in October, December, March, April and June. Haist says the venues are both new and old for the Nebraska Brass.  The first series played the Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church in Omaha, and the traditional “A Nebraska Brass Christmas” concert series will return in December. “We’re looking forward to revisiting them” Haist said.  New Lincoln concert venues will include Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and Trinity United Methodist Church.

The 22 series concerts and rehearsals for each one make a total of 37 paid events for the Brass players, something Haist likes in a time of reduced revenue for the arts. “We kind-of price ourselves out of the ‘wedding’ market,” Haist says, “but with so many jobs by the time summer rolls around it’s OK for us to take a break.”

What’s in store for Nebraska Brass concert-goers?

“We play new things the first half, then some traditional brass music the second half” of the concert,  Haist says. “And we play a lot of American brass music. We find our audiences really like that.” There’s always a Christmas concert featuring old and new holiday music, an all-American brass concert, and the “Nebraska Brass and Friends” event, this year featuring guest percussionist Jami Fristo in June.

The Nebraska Brass plays most of its concerts in churches. “We find congregations enjoy the music and most of them pitch in to bring people to the concert. Also the churches offer a great acoustical experience” for brass music, Haist says.

The Nebraska Brass will be adding at least one special event not for the public this season. They’ve been invited to play a commissioned piece by Nolan Schmit for the annual Nebraska Music Educators Association Convention this fall. “We’re looking forward to that one,” Haist said.

Season passes for the concert are available for the five concerts, and individual tickets may be purchased at the door before each event.

Tickets and additional Nebraska Brass information can be found at the Arts Incorporated office, 402-477-7899, or the website, http://www.artsincorporated.org/nb