Gainesville Brass Quintet

Sunday, September 29, 2019
3:00pm – Concert

THE GAINESVILLE BRASS QUINTET is comprised of Joseph Jamerson, Clifford Newton, Miranda Morris, Charles Propper and Robin Sisk. Organized in 1985, the Gainesville Brass Quintet has performed throughout the North and Central Florida regions. The group performs a wide variety of music ranging from baroque canzoni to modern transcriptions of pop and jazz tunes as well as a wide selection of the modern brass literature. North Florida’s fine arts radio station, WUFT, has repeatedly broadcast the Gainesville Brass Quintet in concert. The quintet commissioned and performed the premier of Paul Johnson’s Swing Set with Slide for quintet and orchestra with the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra. While each member of the group performs extensively with other musical organizations, the brass quintet medium presents a special challenge to explore the almost limitless styles and tonal qualities capable of this unique chamber group. Recently the quintet co-produced a performance of brass and organ music with the Mayport Naval Station Brass and the Ancient Cities Brass from Jacksonville, Florida.

Joseph Jamerson (trumpet) came to Gainesville in 1978 after studying in the Chicago area. Previous positions include Band Director at Saratoga Junior High School and Instructor of Brass at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Opera Orchestra and the Florida West Coast Orchestra, Florida Orchestra and has performed as soloist with the Gainesville Orchestra and the Central Florida Symphony. He has held the position of Principal Trumpet in the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra for 34 seasons and performs as a soloist in various church venues and special performances. He is the founding member of the Gainesville Brass Quintet. He recently completed a Masters of Worship Studies from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies and has taught worship theology courses in Kiev, Ukraine and Havana, Cuba.

Clifford Newton (trumpet) is probably the greatest professional musician to come from St. Cloud, Florida. In fact, he is probably the only professional musician to come from St. Cloud, Florida. Like many professional musicians, Cliff began his musical study in a public school band. Growing up in tiny St. Cloud, where few people could aspire toward a musical career, his early motivation was simply the enjoyment of music and the participation in a musical group. Besides playing in the St. Cloud High School Band, Cliff was a member of the United States Air Force band served as the Principal Trumpet for the Jacksonville Symphony for 32 seasons.

Miranda Sims (French horn) received her Master of Music degree from the University of Florida (2007) and her Bachelor of Music from Valdosta State University (2005), both in horn performance. She has been a student of Dr. Kristen Johns, Dr. Grace Kang, and Dr. Paul Basler. Miranda has performed with various ensembles through Georgia and North Florida, including the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, the Ocmulgee Symphony Orchestra, and the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra.

Charles Propper (trombone) is currently the Director of the Keystone Heights Jr.-Sr. High School bands and chorus. A retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Musician, he represented our country as a musical ambassador in over thirty countries on five different continents, performed for three United States Presidents, sailed on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and transited through the Panama Canal. In addition to his military duties, Mr. Propper has performed as a freelance trombonist with such notable ensembles as the Jacksonville Symphony, Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, Honolulu Symphony, Honolulu Opera Theater, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Maryland Theater Orchestra, Virginia Beach Symphony, St. John’s River City Band, and the Rick Kirkland Orchestra.

Robin Sisk is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and has come to be one of the most active and versatile freelance tubists in Sunshine State. In addition to serving as Principal Tuba of the Gainesville Orchestra, she is a tubist for Walt Disney World in Epcot’s Candlelight Processional Orchestra and a substitute for the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street Philharmonic. She has performed with an array of groups, most notably the Florida Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Naples Philharmonic, Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Ocala Symphony, Brass Band of Central Florida, Band Bajha Brass, the Athena Brass Band (America’s All-Star female brass band), major theme parks and entertainment venues, and is a proud founding member of Fleur de Beat – the country’s first professional stilt-walking band. Robin earned a BM in Music Education from West Virginia University, MM in Tuba Performance from the University of South Florida, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from The Hartt School. Her primary teachers include Scott Mendoker, Jay Hunsberger, David McCollum, and Les Dean, Sr.

William Dishman, (manager/ alternate trumpet) a native of the Washington D.C. area, came to Gainesville in 1975. He recently passed away after a long battle. Performances by the GBQ are dedicated to our lost friend.