About Connaught Brass

Trumpets: Aaron Akugbo, Harry Plant 
French horn: Robyn Blair 
Trombone: Chris Brewster 
Tuba: Aled Meredith-Barrett

Connaught Brass are quickly making a name for themselves as a fresh talent in the chamber music world. Having already made their debut at the Lucerne Festival and London’s Wigmore Hall, the ensemble’s ability to manipulate and unify sound earned them 1st Prize in the Inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition (2019) and the Royal Overseas League Mixed Ensemble Competition (2022). Vibrant, spirited and bold, Connaught Brass place emphasis on their friendship with one another to showcase their individual musical personalities within a unique collective sound.

Prior to their Philip Jones Competition win, the group won the Worshipful Company of Musicians Brass Ensemble Prize in 2018, and travelled to France shortly after to participate in the music festival Ferrandou Musique. They returned to the same festival in 2019 and 2021. More recently, the quintet have become Artists of the Tillett Trust, City Music Foundation and Kirckman Concert Society, and attended the prestigious Britten Pears Chamber Music Residency 2022.

Recent seasons have seen the Connaughts perform widely across the UK and Europe, including tours of Switzerland in both 2021 and 2022, recitals at Societá Filarmonica Trento, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St George’s Bristol, The Great Birmingham Brass Fest, where they performed a new commission alongside Onyx Brass, St James’ Piccadilly, Hidden Doors Arts Festival Edinburgh and Lake District Summer Music Festival, as well as performing live on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune programme. The 22/23 season will see the group make their Netherlands debut, including a live radio broadcast from the Concertgebouw’s Spiegelzaal, an extensive performance schedule in their hometown of London at Wigmore Hall, King’s Place and St John Smith’s Square, as well as performances covering the rest of the UK.

Their ever-growing repertoire spans 500 years, from renaissance to contemporary works, across a large range of genres. The ensemble also take great pride in undertaking and building their education work, including that supported by the Cavatina Trust and the Musicians Company.

Having been principal players and members of the European Union Youth Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, members are now seen freelancing in the London Symphony, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, English National Opera, Opera North, Welsh National Opera and Ulster Orchestras, as well as recording with and supporting artists such as Bruno Mars, Stormzy, Jamie Cullum, Rag‘n’Bone Man, Dave, Giggs and Gregory Porter.

Connaught Brass’ ambition is to explore and share the broadest range of musical repertoire with as wide an audience as possible, bringing brass chamber music to the forefront of today’s musical world.