River City Brass Band chooses director

[katfey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10118/1054064-100.stm" target="_blank" target="_blank

River City Brass Band chooses director
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
By Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

After a year of searching, the River City Brass Band has its man.

The board of the ensemble based in Pittsburgh has chosen James Gourlay its new music director and conductor, giving him a five-year contract. The native of Scotland was one of several guest conductor candidates leading the River City Brass Band this season. He impressed the board after conducting the group in a program of Sousa, Copland, Bernstein and Williams in March.

Mr. Gourlay is steeped in the brass world. A world-renowned tuba soloist, he began his career at 18 as the principal tubist of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, following it with the same position at the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of the Zurich Opera.

But he moved to brass bands and later added conducting to his repertoire, leading the Williams Fairey Band, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and the Brass Band Treize Etoiles among others. Mr. Gourlay now is music director of the Yorkshire, England, based Grimethorpe Colliery Band, one of the most prominent brass ensembles in the world, and is an advocate for brass instruments, including serving as a vice president of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association.

His tenure with the River City Brass Band will begin in September. He succeeds Denis Colwell in the position.

Andrew Druckenbrod: adruckenbrod@post-gazette.com" target="_blank" target="_blank or 412-263-1750.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10118/10 ... z0mUGvkqiI" target="_blank" target="_blank

[rodgeman]

Cool to have a conductor who plays tuba. There is a community band in Scottsdale, AZ I am going to join in the fall that also has a tuba player as a conductor.

Best of luck to him.

[David Zerkel]

Very cool! Congrats to both Jim and the RCBB... everybody wins!