About the Lyric Brass Quintet

Formed in 1998, The Lyric Brass Quintet (Elisa Koehler & Kevin Dines, Trumpets; Larry Williams, Horn; Brandon Rivera, Trombone; and Andrew Spang, Tuba) quickly distinguished itself as one of the premier brass chamber groups in the region. As winners of the 2000 Baltimore Chamber Music Competition they performed at ARTSCAPE (Baltimore's Festival of the Arts), and their debut CD, Daydreams, Desires and Diversions was released the same year to critical acclaim. They have been featured artists on the Baltimore Composer's Forum, the Peggy and Yale Gordon Trust Concert Series, and at the Foxboro Orpheum in Boston. They have appeared as soloists in Eric Ewazen's concerto grosso, Shadowcatcher, with the Peabody Wind Ensemble and were featured artists on Virginia's Catch a Rising Star Concert Series. LBQ is sponsored, in part, by Stu's Music Shop in Westminster, Maryland and have served as artists in residence at the Goucher Summer Arts Institute. LBQ's second recording, Christmas Around the World, was released in December 2002.

The members of The Lyric Brass are strongly committed to education. They have given clinics and masterclasses at festivals and schools throughout the U.S.

About the Musicians

Elisa Koehler, trumpet, enjoys a versatile career as a trumpeter, conductor, and teacher. She is the Director of Orchestral Activities at Goucher College and the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Frederick Orchestra. Trumpet performances with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the 17th Century (natural trumpet), and the Lyric Brass Quintet. D.M.A. (Conducting), Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University; M.M. (Trumpet), University of Tennessee; B.M. (Trumpet) and B.M. (Music Education), Peabody Conservatory. Additional study at the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute.

Kevin Dines, trumpet, is a trumpet artist with the Lyric Brass. Kevin is a Senior Chief Musician in the United States Navy Band (Washington D.C.). He won his position with the ensemble in 1988. In addition, Kevin regualrly performs on a substitute basis with the Harrisburg Symphony, as with many fine ensembles in the Baltimore/Washington area. Mr. Dines received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Ohio State University.

Larry Williams, horn, has distinguished himself as a multifaceted musician, whose artistry led the late Philip Farkas, former Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and master teacher, to describe him as "an outstanding artist- soloist, who possesses fine tone, excellent intonation, superb accuracy, and superior musicianship." A very active recitalist and soloist, Mr. Williams has soloed with various orchestras including the Peabody Sinfonia, the UMBC Symphony Orchestra, and will perform Mozart's Third Horn Concerto with the Goucher Chamber Symphony in the Spring of 1999. He has served as Principal Horn in the New World Symphony under the direction of Sir Michael Tilson Thomas, and has performed with the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh. His wide range of musical styles include solo/chamber literature for horn, jazz, popular, and contemporary. He has toured and performed with jazz and popular musicians Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Arturo Sandoval, and Gloria Estefan. In addition to his active performance career, Mr. Williams serves as Chair of the Brass and Wind Department of the Peabody Preparatory. Among his awards and citations are Who's Who of Teachers in the United States, Who's Who Among African Americans, and winner of 2nd Prize in the Yale Gordon Concerto Competition. Mr. Williams is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory.

Brandon Rivera, trombone, is the newest member of the Lyric Brass Quintet. Originally from New York, Mr. Rivera is an active performer in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. He has performed with such diverse artists as Patti LaBelle, Jessica Simpson, Wynton Marsalis, Nathan Lane, Charlotte Church, Johnny Mathis, and Donnie McKlurkin. He has also appeared with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera Orchestra, Soulful Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He has studied trombone with Jim Olin, Stan Wilkerson, and Gary Thomas, earning a Bachelors of Music from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Andrew Spang, tuba, is an active performer, teacher, and clinician in the Baltimore area. He has performed, toured, and recorded with the Eastman Wind Ensemble under the direction of Donald Hunsberger and the Eastman Trombone Choir under John Marcellus. Mr. Spang has also performed with the Maryland Philharmonic, Gettysburg Symphony and Eastman Philharmonia. Currently, Mr. Spang is the Director of Bands at Folly Quarter Middle School and Director of Music at Westminster United Methodist Church. He has served on the applied faculties of Western Maryland College and the University of Rochester. Mr. Spang is a graduate of The Eastman School of Music and The Boston Conservatory.