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"MaynardFerguson.com - The Official Web Site of Maynard Ferguson." MaynardFerguson.com - The Official Web Site of Maynard Ferguson. Web. 26 Apr. 2016. Brass Artist Research Paper With every instrument, there are role models that people look up to as a way to gain motivation and get better. On the horn, Philip Farkas is the artist to look up to because after years of experience he gained the proper knowledge to be an extraordinary horn player. Born on March 4, 1914, Farkas had a wonderful musical career and offered his knowledge to the world through books and consultation with refining the horn until his death on December 21, 1992. While most of the famous musicians begin learning their instrument at a young age, Farkas was not one them. Farkas began his musical career on piano because his mother insisted that he be involved in music. Farkas continued his musical career in boy scouts by being the bugler player at the age of 12 and continued on the bulge until age 14. Around this time, Farkas developed symptoms of asthma and his parents thought that playing a wind instrument in school would help. Beginning with high school band at Calumet High School, Farkas started on tuba but ran into a problem of carrying it back and forth to school with the conductor on the streetcar that he took to get to school. Farkas then “asked the conductor what case would be allowed and the conductor pointed to a horn case” and switched to horn.1 As soon as Farkas began playing the horn, he fell in love with the instrument and began perfecting his talent with it. By 1927, Farkas decided to be a professional horn player and to help build his technique, he began taking lessons from Earl Stricker. From these lessons, Farkas learned and grew so much that he became the youngest horn player to be in the All Chicago High School Orchestra. To continue growing, Farkas switched teachers and began studying privately with one of the greatest horn players of his time, Louis Dufrasne. From Dufrasne, Farkas began playing with the Chicago Civic Orchestra and it helped jumpstart his musical career. Soon after, Farkas began playing as first horn with the Kansas City Philharmonic and moved on to Chicago, Boston, New York, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. While playing with these orchestras, Farkas taught at Kansas City Conservatory, Cleveland Institute, DePaul, Roosevelt, Northwestern, and Indiana University. Also, Farkas worked at the Aspen Festival Orchestra and toured with the American Woodwind Quintet. Aside from his teaching and professional career, Farkas continued sharing his ideas through writing and helped developed a horn that would help the player. One of his most famous works is “The Art of Horn Playing” which includes knowledge of techniques and exercises that he had used himself and the words of his teachers. To many horn players it is referred to as the “Bible of Horn Playing” because it provides a great reference to players on the proper embouchure, various breathing exercises, and reasons behind techniques. For instance, Farkas states in his book that “no matter what mouthpiece we may tempted to use, we must keep within the bounds of what’s good for the instrument” offering the advice that players will want to find something that works for them but they also need to look at what the instrument needs. 2 Not only did Farkas provide a legacy of information, he also helped with consolations to improve the horn itself. Working with Holton, Farkas exchanged many letters to him that included improvements Farkas wished to be made on the horn such as adjustable little finger ring and a case that would have room to fit an emergency kit of tools to fix the horn.3 Farkas continued to modify this instrument until his death at the age of 78. Works Cited The Art of French Horn Playing. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2016, from https://books.google.com/books?id=sscaH7PJOx0C Philip F. Farkas (1914-1992) - IHS Online. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2016, from http://www.hornsociety.org/26-people/honorary/48-philip-f-farkas-1914-1992 Whatever Happened to the H-109 “Ultra-Farkas” Horn? (2010, August 18). Retrieved April 24, 2016, from https://jamesboldin.com/2010/08/18/whatever-happened-to-the-h-109-ultra-farkas-horn/ Discography Solo piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Z4sy3gvkw Orchestral piece with the Chicago Symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rebEG8nYlgg Chamber Ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q45_SQJdYsE&list=PL2ck3S29Q6olICIV2O7Ymcc_AF2nge4Cp 
Brass Artist Research Project Philip Jones Brass Ensemble London Brass 
Philip Jones founded the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble in 1951. This ensemble has been known for performing in major concert halls and recording world-renowned pieces of music. The group has also been a major influence for all brass chamber groups through many different commissions and recordings of major works. Philip Johns was a famous virtuoso trumpet player who had performed with many well know groups such as the London Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony Orchestra to name a few and was also known for his contributions to solo pieces and solo performance. When Philip Jones left the group it lead to the renaming of the ensemble to the London Brass and was founded from many of the members from the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble in 1986. Both of the groups I found to be extremely influential to the standards of chamber groups now and contributions to new music. The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble started with two trumpets, a horn, trombone, and tuba players. The group was committed to playing music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romanic, and Modern music that ranged from brass trios to large ensembles. The PBJE has also commissioned and premiered seventy works for brass ensembles. Examples of these commissions are Lutoslawki’s Mini Overture for brass quintet and Langord’s London Miniatures for tentet. This set the tone for many of the famous brass quintets known today. Empire Brass, Canadian Brass, and Dallas Brass all seem to follow the same type of playing standards of performance. When the group disbanded it lead to the renaming of the London Brass, which is comprised of a ten-piece ensemble of four trumpets, one horn, four trombones, and one tuba. This group is known for performing and promoting new experimental pieces such as Jay Arden’s Bayo’s Way. Andrew Crowley has been a member since 1987 and is the current manager of London Brass. He has been featured on film tracks such as Gladiator, 007, Harry Potter, and Shrek. Gareth Small, John Barclay, Dan Newell, Richard Bissill, Lindsay Shilling, Byron Fulcher, Richard Edwards, David Stewart, and Oren Marshell have also made significant careers playing in films, orchestras through out London, and have held teaching careers at many different colleges for music and universities. Many of the members have also made careers in solo performing across London and the United States. Resources
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