Brian Balmages (born January 24, 1975) is an American composer, conductor, and music educator. He primarily composes wind ensemble works.

Early life and education

Brian Balmages was born in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. His father was a trumpet player and his mother was an opera singer. Brian Balmages obtained a B.M. in Music Industry from

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

, with a focus on trumpet performance, and an M.M. in Media Scoring and Production from the

Frost School of Music Frost School of Music is the music school at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. From 1926 to 2003, it was known as University of Miami School of Music. Academics and programs The University of Miami's Frost School of Music was on ...

at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

Career

Initially, Balmages played trumpet in a Miami orchestra. Later, he concentrated on composition, teaching, music publishing, and on conducting nationwide. Internationally, Balmages has conducted in Canada, Italy, and Australia. He is the assistant director of bands and orchestras at

Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its founding, the university h ...

and the director of instrumental publications at the FJH Music Company.

Works

For wind instruments

* Pele for Solo horn and Wind Ensemble (2004) * Moscow 1941 for Concert Band (2006) * Apollo for Soprano Saxophone and Wind Ensemble (2008) * Summer Resounding! for Concert Band (2008) * Three Celtic Dances for Concert Band (2008) * Arabian Dances for Symphonic Band (2009) * Elements for Concert Band (2010) * Incantation and Ritual for Wind Orchestra (2015) * Rippling Watercolors for Concert Band (2015) *Kyiv, a Sequel to Moscow, 1941 (2022) * Into the Arctic * Sapier's Story * Midnight Mission * Endless Rainbows * Fanfare Canzonique

For string instruments

* Backstage Pass for Symphony Orchestra, Concert band, or Jazz band (2015) * It Takes One to Tango for Cello and Orchestra

Personal

Balmages resides in

Lutherville, Maryland Lutherville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,504. Prior to 2010 the area was part of the Lutherville-Timonium CDP. Within its borders lies the Luther ...

. He is married and has two children.

References

External links

Musician websiteAn interview with Balmages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balmages, Brian 1975 births Living people American trumpeters American conductors (music) Musicians from Baltimore James Madison University alumni University of Miami Frost School of Music alumni People from Lutherville, Maryland American music educators 21st-century American composers 20th-century American composers Towson University faculty