2026 Brass Summit

Seraph Brass, now in its 13th season, was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden 

with a mission to showcase the excellence of women brass players and highlight musicians from 

marginalized groups. Winners of the American Prize in Chamber Music, the group has been 

praised for its “beautiful sounds" (American Record Guide), "fine playing” (Gramophone), and 

“staggeringly high caliber of performance” (Textura).

The ensemble tours nationally and globally, and the 2026-2027 highlights include recitals across 

the United States, a concerto performance with the San Francisco Brass Band, residencies in 

Germany, Mexico, and Haiti, and the release of their third album in the spring. Members of 

Seraph Brass are passionate about music education, and hold faculty positions at Shenandoah 

Conservatory, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the University of WisconsinMadison. In each of their tours, the group works to provide educational outreach to local schools.

Seraph Brass performs a diverse body of repertoire, ranging from original transcriptions to newly 

commissioned works and core classics. Seraph Brass is passionate about commissioning and 

premiering new works, and has released two albums showcasing these works, Asteria (Summit 

Records) and Showcase (Tower Grove Records).

Seraph Brass is a Yamaha Performing Group.