Friday, February 21, 2020 — 5:30pm
Jazz and classic music for brass

Program TBA

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The Black Mesa Brass Quintet was formed in 1990 and still has three of the original five members. Their repertoire is an eclectic mix of classical, modern, pop, and jazz tunes. They play a variety of venues, including concerts, educational performances at schools, weddings and other special occasions. Their collective musical experience is on the order of 240 years.

Jan McDonald (trumpet) has been a mainstay of the Los Alamos music scene for decades. He is recognized nationally as an accomplished trumpet player and educator. He performs with many professional groups in New Mexico, and is the recipient of the Outstanding Secondary Educator Award and the Outstanding New Mexico Jazz Educator Award.

Dr. Bruce Letellier (trumpet) earned degrees in nuclear engineering from Kansas State University before moving to Los Alamos. An avid volunteer with the high school drama department, he performs regularly with numerous ensembles in northern New Mexico.

As an Applied Mathematician at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Elizabeth Hunke (French horn) develops and maintains the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model, CICE, which is used in numerous climate modeling centers around the world. In her spare time she plays horn with several Los Alamos ensembles, and she is active in the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots that provides scholarship opportunities for women and aviation education in the community.

Jerry Morzinski (tuba) ended his 20-year Navy pilot career with a tour at Annapolis, where he played with Navy musicians from the Washington DC area in large- and small-group ensembles. He organizes brass ensembles, arranges music, and directs the adult choir at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.

Larry Bronisz (trombone) started his musical studies in the LA Schools on cello, switched to trombone in 4th grade and started taking lessons from Jan McDonald in 6th grade. He enjoys Classical and Jazz genres, has started playing cello again, and has taken up trumpet in the last few years.