Brass quintet will perform February 24

Take two trumpets, one French horn, a trombone and a tuba, put them in the hands of virtuoso performers, add some lighthearted demonstrations, and you have the St. Louis Brass Quintet.

The quintet will dispel the myth that its music is aimed solely at classical music lovers when it performs Feb. 24 in Lee Hall auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

Members of the St. Louis Brass Quintet

Tickets for the performance are $6 for adults, $4 for senior citizens (by request) and $3 for children 3-12. MSU students are admitted free with I.D. Tickets are only available at the door.

In addition, students and the general public are invited to attend a master's class with the players at 4 p.m. in Lee Hall auditorium.

The members of the St. Louis Brass Quintet try to create a relaxed and informal atmosphere despite the tuxedos they wear.

"We have a lot of fun with the audience," said trombonist Melvyn Jernigan. "Concerts start off really kind of straight and then get lighter as we go along."

The quintet will perform a variety of selections featuring music from the baroque era and new work by Anthony Plog, "Four Sketches for Brass Quintet." On the lighter side, the quintet will play "Gershwin Medley" and several songs of popular American composers arranged in a piece called "The Seasons."

In addition to Jernigan, the group's manager and trombonist, the quintet includes trumpet players Allan Dean, a Yale University music professor, and Ray Sasaki, University of Illinois trumpet professor; French hornist Thomas Bacon, who teaches at Arizona State University; and tubist Daniel Perantoni, Indiana University music professor.

For more information, contact Penny Boese or Brenda Neubauer at 325-4201.