The Coda Brass Quintet comes to Wilmington Saturday for a performance at the Woodlawn Library.
One thing that sets the ensemble apart from other brass quintets is its membership. All five members are women. That’s rare among brass sections, which are usually dominated by men.
“I know for me, this is my first time playing in an all-woman group," says Paige Kerrigan, one of Coda’s trumpet players. "A lot of times I'm the only woman in the entire brass section, whether that's in a band or an orchestra, or any time that you're playing.”
That lack of representation sparked the formation of this quintet. It also drives them to make sure they spotlight under-represented composers. That proved difficult because music for brass quintets is dominated by white male composers, often European or American. Euphonium player Megan Alexander says that music is great, but it's also not enough.
“One of our goals has been to commission and work with composers to create new works," she says. "We're creating both new music and we're able to approach people that look different and are different than what has typically been represented in the past.”
Horn player Libby Ando agrees.
“All of the rep that exists is wonderful, but at the same time, there's nothing like having representation for young composers," she says. "There's nothing like seeing yourself in that position. There's nothing like having an actual woman composer being the one who's highlighted and framed. We're really excited to be able to do that.”
The Coda Brass Quintet performs at the Woodlawn Library in Wilmington on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in a free concert.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
