| IF YOU GO |
| The Synergy Brass Quintet performs “Christmas in Brass” |
| Where: George Mason University Center for the Arts |
| When: 8 p.m. Saturday. Pre-performance discussion starts at 7:15 on the Center’s Grand Tier III. |
| Info: $22 to $44, half-price tickets for youth through 12th grade; 888-945-2468; cfa.gmu.org |
Synergy evokes raves of the rock idol variety wherever the dynamic brass quintet performs. Their “Christmas in Brass” concert at GMU’s Center for the Arts will impart a unique flavor to Bach choral works, Handel’s “Messiah,” classic Christmas carols and seasonal favorites. Trombonist Jordan Witt from bluegrass country in Big Stone Gap, Va., emphasizes that he and his four colleagues were trained as classical musicians, but they share the musical zest of the teens and twentysomethings attending their shows.
“Audiences react enthusiastically because we’re all very young and passionate about presenting a different perspective of classical music all around the world to people who might not even like it,” he said. “We tour at least 10 months of the year and spend some of that time performing for students and giving master classes. Because we bring humor to the stage and get the audience involved, they discover that classical music can be fun.”
Witt’s colleagues are first trumpeter Bobby Thorp, second trumpeter Eric Braunstein, French hornist Jon Hurrell and tuba player Tristan Eggener. All studied with noted teachers and have advanced degrees from major conservatories and universities. Although they are known primarily as classical musicians, all have performed and recorded with major artists in styles ranging from jazz, blues and swing to bop, funk and ska, which they incorporate in their concerts.
They are based in Boston, where two members studied at Boston University under members of the celebrated Empire Brass, but their schedule keeps them on the road most of the year. During a recent tour to Germany and Austria, they made videos of their performances in historic halls that will be out in late summer.
Witt, like the other members of Synergy Brass, discovered his love of music as a youngster. For this reason, they like to include visits to local schools wherever they perform and will present a program for Fairfax students while in town.
Growing up in Southwest Virginia, Witt gravitated to blues and soul music, but did not care for the twangy country vocalizations. He was playing the saxophone in his high school band when the teacher asked him to switch to trombone to make up for the lack of low bass instruments.
“I agreed to be a team player, so my teacher gave me a trombone, a few instructions and a book of trombone solos to take home and try out,” he said. “That night I went through every song in the book. My parents looked at each other and my father said, ‘I guess we can sell the saxophone.’ ”
In addition to their concerts and educational outreach visits to schools and colleges, Synergy was the quintet in residence at the Boston Tanglewood Institute and has performed on NPR and at major music festivals, among them the Ravinia Festival, Bethlehem Musikfest, the Festival de Musica de Camara de Aguascalientes in Mexico and the Tanglewood Music Festival. Every summer they conduct a Brass Camp in Dallas.
“We always look forward to the holiday season because some of the best brass music and recordings are of Christmas music,” Witt said. “Because the George Mason University concert comes right in the middle of the season, we hope to crank out a whole lot of new energy at that show so that the memories of listening to this wonderful Christmas music will stay with the audience throughout the year.”
