Low Brass Workshop
Sunday, May 4, 2025
The UNI Tuba/Euphonium and Trombone Studio will host this one-day event that focuses on low brass performance and pedagogy. Events will include masterclasses and performances by attendees, and guest artists. Open to students in grades 9-12. Registration for this event is FREE! Please contact Anthony.Williams@uni.edu or Brett.Copeland@uni.edu to learn more.
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Guest Artists
Lucas Borges
Lucas Borges is an Associate Professor of Trombone at Ohio University (OU) and is a Conn-Selmer Performing Artist. He holds a Doctoral degree from the University of North Texas (UNT), Master’s degree from Indiana University and a Bachelor’s degree from Universidade de Brasilia (Brazil). Before his appointment at OU, Dr. Borges served as a teaching fellow at UNT for four years and maintained a private studio in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He was also previously a faculty member at Escola de Música de Brasilia. Additionally, he has been invited to teach and perform in international festivals such as II Festival Internacional de Múica Erudita de Piracicaba (2011), 35o Curso Internacional de Verão da Escola de Música de Brasília (2013), and XXV Festival Internacional de Música Colonial Brasileira e Música Antigua (2014) in Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
Tom Curry
Tom Curry has served on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music since 2014. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree as well as a Master of Music degree in tuba performance from Northwestern University. He also holds degrees in tuba performance and communication arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Curry is currently the tubist in the Wisconsin Brass Quintet, a faculty ensemble-in-residence at the Mead Witter School of Music, and has performed with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic and many other orchestras. Since 2022, he has performed with the Meridian Arts Ensemble, a brass ensemble specializing in new music. He is a Miraphone performing artist.
Faculty Artists
Anthony Williams
Anthony Williams is Associate Professor of Trombone at the University of Northern Iowa. He teaches courses in applied trombone, chamber music, trombone pedagogy, trombone literature, and low brass techniques. He also serves as a member of UNI’s jazz faculty by teaching courses in applied jazz trombone and directing the UNI Jazz Trombone Ensemble.
Dr. Williams maintains a high frequency of performing in classical, jazz, and new music settings. His debut solo album, “Synthesis,” is a collection of five newly-commissioned works for solo trombone scored with various ensemble settings that combines classical, Latin, and jazz music. Other recent recordings include Dr. Williams performing as lead trombonist with the Mike Waldrop Big Band on recently released albums, “Origin Suite” and “Time Within Itself.” Additional recording credits include “Grosso for Trombone and Electronics” for Mexican-born composer, Jorge Sosa’s album, “Plastic Time,” and albums by UNI alums Ryan Middagh and Dave Lisik.
He is principal trombonist of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony and performs regularly with other orchestras in the region. His current jazz and commercial music performance activity includes appearances with local and regional groups such as The Des Moines Big Band, Orquesta Alto Maiz, NOLA Jazz Band, Big Fun, and many others. Dr. Williams’ past experiences include engagements with the Memphis Symphony, Memphis Jazz Orchestra, Ray Charles Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Natalie Cole, and Aretha Franklin.
He is a member of the International Trombone Association and the Jazz Education Network.
Brett Copeland
Dr. Brett Copeland is a tuba player, educator, composer, and music technologist that holds the position of Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Northern Iowa. He previously held the position of Adjunct Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Texas at Tyler while living in Dallas and teaching a private studio of low brass students. He's maintained an active performance career playing with groups such as: NewStream Brass, the Dallas Brass Band, Flower City Brass, Symphoria (Syracuse, NY), the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Buffalo, NY), and has held the position of Principal Tuba with the Venice Symphony (FL), Ash Lawn Opera (VA), and the South Shore Symphony Orchestra (FL).
Brett's artistic endeavors extend beyond performance, as he recently co-authored "The Creative Listener" with other members of NewStream Brass (Dr. Dakota Corbliss, Dr. Derek Ganong, and Dr. Austin Seybert). The Creative Listener is an innovative method book aimed at providing a resource for music educators to teach audiation and improvisation concepts effectively. Furthermore, his passion for composition shines through his acoustic and electro-acoustic works such as: "Yesterday, I Woke Up Sucking a Lemon," featured on the album recorded by NewStream Brass in 2022, Sorrowful Songs for bass clarinet and electronics (arr. Copeland); harbor for bass clarinet, tuba, and electronics (both written for and premiered by Alexander W. Ravitz at the CMS South Central conference in Spring '23); and two original works for trombone, tuba, and electronics, written for and recorded by Dr. Austin Seybert also in the spring of '23.
Brett earned a DMA in Tuba Performance and Literature with a Certificate in Arts Leadership from the Eastman School of Music ('20) where he was a Teaching Assistant for both the Tuba Studio and the Eastman Audio Research Studio. His primary teachers have been Don Harry, Jay Hunsberger, and Dr. Jeff Funderburk.