Kansas State University

Adam Frey - October 2007

Adam Frey represents one of the young elite brass soloists in the world by bringing his sharp intellect, mature musicianship, and charismatic stage presence to audiences all over the world. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Adam began his musical studies at the University of Georgia under Dr. David Randolph and earned a Bachelor of Music magna cum laude with High Honors. Adam later completed a Master of Music with Distinction and a Professional Performance Diploma with Distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.

Traveling extensively in the past few years with concert appearances in Europe, America, and Austral-Asia, Adam’s performances are varied and diverse appearing with orchestras, wind bands, brass bands, and as a solo recitalist. Some orchestral ensembles have included the Boston Pops (USA), Cheju (South Korea), Fort Collins (USA), Vaasa (Finland), Greensboro (USA), LaGrange (USA), and the University of Georgia (USA) Symphony Orchestras. Brass band concerts have mainly been concentrated in Europe performing with the National Youth Brass Band of Switzerland, Luzern Youth Brass Band (Switzerland), Soli Brass (Holland), Point of Ayr (Wales), Brass Band of Battle Creek (USA), Willoughby City Band (Australia), Williams Fairey Band (UK), Fodens Courtois Band (UK), and Besses’O the Barn (UK). Wind band solo appearances have included the Guardians Band (Finland), Ilshin Girls Band (South Korea), Bavarian State Police Band (Germany), Nashville Wind Ensemble (USA), Blue Lake Festival Band (USA), University of Georgia Wind Symphony (USA), University of Utah Wind Ensemble (USA), and the Atlanta Wind Symphony (USA) to name but a few.

His first solo recording entitled, Listen to THIS!!, received worldwide acclaim for both its numerous world premieres and impressive performances. Some reviews from the brass enthusiast publication Brass Band World include:

"What Frey is above all things is enterprising and adventurous."
"Frey imparts to the Fauré an assurance and tenderness that is fitting, just as he brings his
enviable finger technique to Flight of the Bumble Bee."

In 2003, Adam released a new recording entitled Collected Dreams - a wonderful collection of traditional Scottish, Irish, and classical melodies that combines the lush sound of the euphonium with dreamy synthesizer accompaniments in a new age vein. He also appears on ten other recordings as a collaborative artist and has been a featured soloist in broadcasts on BBC Radio 2 - Young Artists’ programs and the Listen to the Band series, Swiss Cable Radio, and on numerous NPR stations in the US.

2005 will see the release of two MAJOR recording projects for Adam: the release for Spring will be Little Buckaroos, with Scott Hartmann (former trombonist with the Empire Brass Quintet) and the Metropolitan Wind Symphony was released. Late in the year, a very highly anticipated recording with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will be released. Sign up for an e-mail list to ensure you hear about these recordings as soon as they become available.

Competitions have been a means for both career enhancement within brass circles, but also for furthering the standing of the euphonium as a solo instrument in competitions open to all instruments. During his years at the University of Georgia, Adam was awarded the Presser Foundation Scholar and received 1st Prizes at the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition and the Music Teachers’ National Association Wurlitzer Competition, and 2nd Prize at the ”Verso Il Millenio” International Competition in Riva del Garda, Italy. Adam has also earned noteworthy acclaim with competition successes at the British Euphonium Baritone Conference (UK), the Tubamania International Competition (Australia), the 15th Annual Japan Wind and Percussion Competition (Japan), the 2001 Concert Artists Guild International Young Artist Competition (USA) and at the Cheju International Brass Solo Competition (South Korea). In 2001, Mr. Frey also gave the American premiere of the Vladimir Cosma Euphonium Concerto with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra and received 1st Prize for his performance.

Adam also serves as Adjunct Professor of Euphonium at Georgia State University and as the Euphonium Artist Affiliate at Emory University. Both programs are located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Recent Guest Artists

National Symphony Brass Quintet

Steven Mead

Steven Mead's extraordinary pioneering work with the euphonium has gained him worldwide fame as perhaps the foremost euphonium soloist in the world today . He is without doubt most traveled soloist in the history of the instrument. His hectic schedule sees him playing concerts with leading ensembles, orchestras, brass and wind bands the world over. In recent years he has diversified still further he has begun to play popular styles and jazz.

He is currently in great demand as a recitalist and clinician throughout the world of brass playing (please refer to the events schedule on this site). Not only has he been at the forefront of performance but is credited as a pioneer in euphonium education and repertoire. Steven has been a professional euphonium soloist for some 18 years after a successful career with some of the top British brass bands and as a full time music teacher. It is this wealth of experience that has helped to create a musician who communicates with his audiences.

Patrick Sheridan

Patrick Sheridan has been enthusiastically received as a solo artist around the world. He made his solo debut playing an arrangement of The Blue Bells of Scotland accompanied by his mom, Diana, when he was just 8 years old, only months after he had started playing his chosen instrument, the tuba! He made his solo orchestral debut at the age of 15 playing a Mozart Horn Concerto on the tuba. Since then, Patrick has rocketed to success as a solo performer in venues ranging from the White House to an NBA half-time show to the Hollywood Bowl.

As a former member of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, he thrilled audiences across the United States with his amazing virtuosity and musicianship as one of the band's primary soloists. He is equally at home with standard classical repertoire and as an entertainer in the "pops" realm. In addition to his musical studies with legendary tuba artists Arnold Jacobs, Sam Pilafian, Daniel Perantoni, Harvey Phillips and Jim Self, Mr. Sheridan holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in finance and marketing from the University of Michigan.

Jason Hamm

Euphonium, West Point Military Academy Band

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