Buzz Brass Stirs Up Buzz For Music

Buzz Brass, a Canadian brass quintet originally from Quebec, graced Thompson with not one, but two performances on April 23rd, leaving audiences captivated by their symphonic talent. The quintet took the audience on a trip through classical eras, as well as getting the audience involved towards the end of their concert, with a segment of playing soundtracks chosen by audience members.

Buzz Brass, comprised of Sylvian Lapointe (trumpet), Frédéric Gagnon (principal trumpet), Pascal Lafrenière (horn), Jason De Carufel (trombone) and Sylvain Arseneau (bass trombone), is an award winning quintet that has given more than 1900 concerts all across the globe, and has won over more than 500 000 music lovers’ hearts. As one of the most well known brass quintets in Canada, Buzz Brass has put out 8 albums since 2002, which can be streamed on any music service.

In the morning of April 23rd, Buzz Brass performed a concert to elementary school students and music students in the Letkemann Theatre. This performance was given in story form, with musical interjections, from both movies and popular video games. That evening, the quintet performed “Famous Inspirations”, a concert consisting of recognizable classical pieces for music lovers everywhere. Selections included songs from Debussy, Dvorak, Piazzolla, Satie, and even some of the soundtrack snippets from the morning concert.

With the trip made possible by UCN, Calm Air, and the Manitoba Arts Network, the hope of the tour was to create buzz for the arts in Northern Manitoba and keep the passion for art—especially music—alive.