What We Do - Cobalt Brass

Performance.
Education.
Innovation.

Performance.

Performing is at the heart of everything that we do at Cobalt Brass. Since the group’s formation in 2015, we have had the pleasure of presenting our unique style of chamber music in concerts, competitions and recital series all across the United Kingdom.

As classically trained musicians, we have a wealth of experience of performing in many different musical settings, and take pride in presenting our audiences with programmes that are diverse and engaging, yet also extremely accessible.

We believe that it is important to explore the stylistic range of the ensemble throughout our performances, and enjoy showing off the rich palette of colour that can be achieved from the brass quintet medium.

“Performing is at the heart of everything that we do at Cobalt Brass.”

Live Performance.

Watch us give a live performance of Matthew Eden’s ‘Pictures from Central Park’, recorded on the 18th July 2019 at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester (UK).

Education.

Alongside our busy schedule of performances, the group enjoys making time to help inspire the next generation of young musicians.

All of us at Cobalt Brass have benefitted from musical education at some point during our formative years, so we know first-hand the importance of exposing younger minds to live performance. Not only does it help spark a fundamental curiosity in music, but it also helps other key areas of a child’s personal development, too.

Through a variety of different approaches (concerts tailored especially for younger minds, interactive assemblies, workshops and even one-to-one tutoring), we aim to make learning about music as fun and accessible as we can.

"We aim to make learning about music as fun and accessible as we can."

Testimonials

"Cobalt Brass were amazing, not only are they super-talented players, they also had a really lovely rapport with the children. We all enjoyed every minute and the children learnt stacks into the bargain."

J. Parker-Wade

Teacher

"We have just had the pleasure of hearing the Cobalt Brass Quintet perform this morning. I have to say that it was simply BRILLIANT! We were impressed at how the group explained how their individual instruments worked and what tunes could be played. Of course, we loved the songs and it was good for me, as music leader, to see our children joining in."

R. Anderson

Primary Music Leader

"Thanks for the excellent concert that our children experienced this afternoon! The quality of music and the interaction with children was excellent. The children loved it and it provided them with a real ‘wow’ experience."

J. Stephenson

Headteacher

"Not only was the musicianship excellent, but the concert was age-appropriate, engaging and very well planned. The children were buzzing afterwards. These sorts of events are so important in motivating children to engage with music and arts and this is something myself and so many of the staff at the school are passionate about."

S. Hughes

Deputy Head Teacher

Innovation.

As a group of musicians that are constantly exploring the expressive potential of their ensemble, Cobalt Brass are always looking for ways in which we can create something new.

We regularly work with composers who draw inspiration from many different genres to create exciting new material for us to play. This is extremely rewarding for the group, as it enables us to explore styles of music that lie beyond the realms of ‘standard repertoire’. This then filters into our concerts and recitals, invigorating the programmes that we deliver to our audiences.

As part of this search for new material, we’ve teamed up with percussionist, Josh Savage, who has already collaborated with us on several substantial works for brass quintet and drum kit. By adding a completely new family of instruments to our lineup, we are able to explore new depths of musical expression and expand our stylistic vocabulary far beyond the borders of traditional chamber music.