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Friday, April 26, 2019  
at 7:30 PM

The Hogtown Brass Quintet

Tristan Tye (trumpet)
Ujjawal Madan (trumpet)
Jason Austin (French horn)
Paul Tarussov (trombone)
Ian Feenstra (tuba)



The Hogtown Brass Quintet is a Toronto-based chamber ensemble dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the traditional brass ensemble. Formed in 2013, HBQ is a collaboration among five accomplished and diverse musicians from a variety of musical backgrounds, ranging from Classical to pop to jazz.  Already gaining attention with their unique arrangements, collaborations with vocalists and instrumentalists, along with their affinity for non-traditional performance spaces, the mandate of the HBQ is to bring brass chamber music to new audiences and to reinvigorate the classic brass ensemble.


HBQ is committed to presenting unique concert experiences, as well as entertaining and informative educational programs. Equally dedicated to performance and education, HBQ is experienced in presenting music to people of all ages in a variety of settings including workshops, masterclasses, and residencies.


In June 2017, HBQ was a featured performer at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival and in October 2017, they released A Holiday Album, Vol. 1 featuring arrangements by an all-Canadian roster of composers including RJ Satchithananthan, Christian Overton, and Terry Promane.

In October 2016, they released their debut recording, Introducing..., featuring brand new arrangements and original compositions for brass quintet in a variety of styles and genres - from Baroque to Latin dance to funk - just a little taste of what HBQ is all about. Introducing... was nominated for a 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award.



Learn more at http://www.hogtownbrass.com/


Tristan Tye (trumpet)


Tristan Tye is a founding member of the Hogtown Brass Quintet. He has performed with several Canadian ensembles including appearances with Orchestra London Canada, Niagara Symphony Orchestra, Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Ontario Philharmonic, Etobicoke Philharmonic, Scarborough Philharmonic, and the Band of the Ceremonial Guard in Ottawa. As a member of the Guard for three summers, Tristan was selected to travel with the band to the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax as well as being chosen to perform with a fanfare team for the opening of the 41st Canadian Parliament. Tristan holds an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Western Ontario. His past teachers include Andrew McCandless, Shawn Spicer, Guy Few, and Stanley Rosenzweig.

Coming from a diverse background in music and the arts, Tristan is a versatile performer who is always looking for new ways to keep audiences entertained and educated. From high school through his undergrad, he played lead trumpet in jazz ensembles on top of his standard Classical and contemporary training, and as a result believes in innovative concert programming that is not restricted by genre, style, or period. Tristan is a strong advocate for the value of arts education and always looks forward to performing and running clinics/master classes with HBQ for students of all levels and experience.

When not camped out in the practice room or rehearsing with HBQ, Tristan enjoys a good glass of Scotch or pint of fine beer, eating scrumptious food, and lounging on the couch with his wife Michelle, their cat Josie, and puppy Wolfgang.


Ujjawal Madan (trumpet)


An eloquent soloist, and a passionate orchestral musician, Ujjawal Madan has been playing the trumpet since he was twelve and has not looked back since. His career as a trumpet player has brought him wonderful opportunities to play in the most intimate of chamber settings, and even some of the greatest halls in the world including the Konzerthaus in Berlin, Sejong Performing Arts Centre in South Korea, Koerner Hall in Toronto, and La Maison Symphonique in Montreal among others.

As an orchestral musician, Ujjawal has been a member of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra since 2014, and a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada three times, in 2016, 2017 and 2018 where he was selected to win the NYO’s “Award of Excellence.” He has had the privilege of being conducted by Maestro’s Johannes Debus, Sir Roger Norrington, and Bramwell Tovey.

Ujjawal is also an avid solo competitor. He won first place at the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival and later second place at the Federal Music Festival Association in 2013. He won the Mississsauga Symphony Orchestra Concerto competition in 2016, and is set to perform the Haydn Trumpet Concerto as part of their season this year.

Ujjawal Madan just completed his undergraduate studies at the Glenn Gould School, studying with Principal Trumpet of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Andrew McCandless.


Jason Austin (French horn)


A native of Barrie, Ontario, Jason Austin earned his Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Toronto. In 2007 upon beginning his Masters in Albuquerque, New Mexico Jason was a founding member of the Sandia Brass Quintet. Mr. Austin has recorded for the Naxos and Analekta labels in addition to performing live to air broadcasts for CBC Radio 1 during the summers of 2007 and 2008.

As an orchestral musician he has played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Francophonie, Opera Southwest, New Mexico Philharmonic, Kingston Symphony Orchestra and the Korean-Canadian Symphony Orchestra. In October of 2013, Jason performed as a soloist in Mozart's 3rd Horn Concerto with the Korean-Canadian Symphony Orchestra as a part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of Korean-Canadian diplomatic ties.

A diverse musician, Jason has also recorded independent film scores for the Toronto International Film Festival, Underground Film Festival and performed with classical crossover artists and big bands. Jason is also active in the world of musical theatre, performing in the pits for shows such as West Side Story, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Les Miserables and Bye Bye Birdie.

When not travelling across North America with his French Horn, Jason can be found cheering for his two favourite baseball teams, the Blue Jays, and whoever is playing the New York Yankees.


Paul Tarussov (trombone)


Paul Tarussov, trombonist, educator, and composer/arranger, is among a new wave of musicians seeking to bring together an exploration of original music with a sound steeped in tradition. He is highly in demand for his versatility as a freelancer in the Toronto area, playing in a variety of musical genres - theatre, world music, rock, funk, and classical. Paul is also a committed educator, leading workshops for all brass instruments, improvisation, theory, and helping musicians and ensembles of all ages and skill levels sound their best.

As a jazz musician, Paul has had the honour of performing and/or recording with jazz artists such as Benny Golson, Barry Harris, Danilo Perez, Michael Feinstein, Ron Westray, Han Bennink, Valery Ponamarev, John MacLeod, Dave Young, and Christine Jensen.

As a freelancer in the Canadian pop scene, he has performed with stars like Carlie Rae Jepsen, Johnny Reid, and Sean Jones. He toured with Stars, a Juno-nominated Canadian indie darling pop/rock group in 2004-2005, as well as with the legendary Canadian super-band Lighthouse (since 2015). During 2013-2015, he was regularly engaged as the bass trombonist for The Canadian Tenors/The Tenors.

His recorded credits include horn work on singer-songwriter Jon Davis's album Open Shores, and he is featured on Quique Escamilla's 500 Years of Night, which received a Juno Award in 2015.

Paul has also been busy on the world music stage, accompanying legendary singers in the salsa scene (Hernan Olivera, Maelo Ruiz, Willie Gonzalez, Roberto Linares Brown), the Ethiopian scene, and the Persian scene.

During his time in New York City he studied with trombone greats Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, Elliot Mason, and Vincent Gardner. Paul is a graduate of the Juilliard School and a specialist in embouchure research at the University of Toronto.


Ian Feenstra (tuba)


At this point in Ian's career, he has been studying and performing the tuba for longer than he has been without the tuba. After completing his BMus at the University of Toronto, Ian's pursuit of music as an academic endeavour led him to a Master of Music degree from the Boston Conservatory, and a Master of Science in Performance Science from the Royal College of Music in London, England.

Opportunities to perform is something that Ian thoroughly enjoys, and as a result he rarely turns away musical opportunities that afford him the chance to grow musically. He has performed as a soloist and musician with groups such as the Mississauga Symphony, the True North Brass, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, and has collaborated numerous composers to premiere various works. Ian is currently also a member of the EUBA quartet and Turbo Street Funk.

If there are limitations to be found in a tuba performance, they will undoubtedly not be coming from the bell of Ian Feenstra.


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