Resources For:
Brian Kay, Biography
From playing Mahler symphonies on stage
at Carnegie hall, to playing backup for Aretha Franklin, to performing
on sackbut from a facsimile of Petrucci's 1501 Odhecaton, trombonist Brian
Kay has had an exciting and varied musical career. Originally from Urbana,
Illinois, he holds degrees from New England Conservatory, and the University
of Illinois. He has toured the country and Europe with The King's Brass
and the American Waterways Wind Orchestra, and has performed with many
of the areas top ensembles including the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston
Philharmonic, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Indian Hill Symphony, Boston
Academy, and many of the area's choral groups. He can be heard on compact
disc recordings with the Handel and Haydn Society, King's Brass, and the
Dave Rasmussen Jazz Orchestra.
Mr. Kay has been teaching in the Boston area since 1991. He currently teache from his home studio in Natick, Massachusetts, and is a former faculty member at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Division and the Longy School. He is the author of two volumes of Intermediate Trombone Methods, as well as numerous other teaching materials. He has taught sessions on various topics including Historical Performance and the Art of Teaching at area conservatories including New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, and the Longy School, where he taught a year-long graduate class on private lesson teaching. He has coached brass ensembles at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Division, and the Longy School Professional Studies Division. Comfortable teaching a wide variety of ages, backgrounds and ability levels, he traveled to Haiti during the summers of 1999 and 2001 where he taught trombone, trumpet, and recorder to young adults and youths, and helped to set up a school music program.
Brian Kay's students have regularly taken part in groups such as New England Conservatory's Youth Philharmonic and Youth Symphony, Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Junior and Senior Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble, Junior and Senior District Orchestras, Bands, and Jazz Bands, and All-State. His students' performances have included Carnegie Hall performances, and a student guest performance with the Boston Symphony. His highest hope for his students is that they enjoy their musical endeavors and continue to grow through them.