Rodney Marsalis ensemble kicks off summer concerts

GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY

Rodney Marsalis (center) with the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass June 8 at Gardner-Webb University’s Brinkley Amphitheater.

Trumpet master Rodney Marsalis will kick off a new summer concert series in Boiling Springs, N.C.

Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass will take the stage June 8 at Gardner-Webb University’s Brinkley Amphitheater as part of the school’s inaugural Summer in the Springs concert series. Tickets are $20 and all seats are general admission. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m.

“Summertime and music are synonymous, and what better way to enjoy the Dawg Days of Summer in Boiling Springs than with a series of concerts under the lights at GWU’s new amphitheater,” GWU President William M. Downs said in a statement.

The concert is also a homecoming for Gardner-Webb associate professor Tim Hudson, who has played trumpet with Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, an 11-piece ensemble, since 2015. Performances range from solo trumpet, to brass quintet, to the full ensemble with percussion.

Marsalis, a New Orleans native, started musical studies at age 6. As an 11-year-old, he started taking classical trumpet lessons with his cousin, Wynton Marsalis and made his solo debut was at 15 with the New Orleans Symphony.

Over more than 20 years as an orchestral musician, Marsalis has won national and international competitions for titled orchestral chairs including the New Orleans Symphony, Colorado Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonica de Tenerife, Barcelona Symphony, and Richmond Symphony.

Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass has performed around the world, including China’s National Center for the Performing Arts, Guangzhou Opera House, Tangelwood’s Seiji Ozawa Hall, as well as performing arts centers throughout the United States, South America, Asia, and Europe.

The second show in the series is July 20 features Carl Cartee with guest performers Shaylee Simeone and April Cushman. Cartee’s event will raise funds for GWU mission and service trips for students. Tickets are $15 for Cartee. A third concert planned for Aug. 24 will welcome GWU students back to campus, with details to be announced later.

Comments