The National Brass Ensemble is comprised of the finest brass players in major orchestras across the United States. There are twenty-six members most of whom currently hold principal positions in the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Repertoire includes excerpts from Giovanni Gabrieli's innovative Sacrae symphoniae (1597), arranged for this ensemble by San Francisco Symphony trombonist Tim Higgins, and the debut of Music for Brass, a new work by celebrated film composer John Williams. Generously supported by Oberlin alumnus Dr. Joseph Markoff and his wife Phyllis, the recording has been inspired by an historic, Grammy Award-winning recording, The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli, featuring the legendary brass ensembles of the Chicago Symphony and the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras. It has been long admired as the definitive modern performance of Giovanni Gabrieli's works.National Brass Ensemble:Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone, New York PhilharmonicDavid Bilger, Principal Trumpet, The Philadelphia OrchestraJeffrey Curnow, Associate Principal Trumpet, The Philadelphia OrchestraMarc Damoulakis, Principal Percussion, The Cleveland OrchestraNitzan Haroz, Principal Trombone, The Philadelphia OrchestraRandall Hawes, Bass Trombone, Detroit Symphony OrchestraTim Higgins, Principal Trombone, San Francisco SymphonyThomas Hooten, Principal Trumpet, Los Angeles PhilharmonicMark J. Inouye, Principal Trumpet, San Francisco SymphonyRichard King, Principal Horn, The Cleveland OrchestraMassimo La Rosa, Principal Trombone, The Cleveland Orchestra Adam Luftman, Principal Trumpet, San Francisco Opera and Ballet orchestrasJames Markey, Bass Trombone, Boston Symphony OrchestraChris Martin, Principal Trumpet, Chicago Symphony OrchestraMichael Martin, Trumpet, Boston Symphony OrchestraJennifer Montone, Principal Horn, The Philadelphia OrchestraMichael Mulcahy, Trombone, Chicago Symphony OrchestraGene Pokorny, Principal Tuba; Chicago Symphony OrchestraThomas Rolfs, Principal Trumpet, Boston Symphony OrchestraMike W. Roylance, Principal Tuba, Boston Symphony OrchestraMichael Sachs, Principal Trumpet, The Cleveland OrchestraJames Sommerville, Principal Horn, Boston Symphony OrchestraYasuhito Sugiyama, Principal Tuba, The Cleveland OrchestraRobert Ward, Principal Horn, San Francisco SymphonyGail Williams, former Associate Principal Horn, Chicago Symphony OrchestraPaul Yancich, Principal Timpani, The Cleveland Orchestra