Canadian Brass

The Canadian Brass (known for their unique performance attire of formal black suits with white running shoes) made its American debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in 1975. A significant international visit was made in 1977 when they were sent to mainland China as a cultural exchange between Canada and China. The ensemble was chosen and sent on this cultural mission by then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. They are now remembered in China as the first Western musicians allowed into China after the Cultural Revolution had suppressed Western art and music.

In 1979 Canadian Brass became the first chamber ensemble to solo the main stage at Carnegie Hall. In addition to their heavy international touring schedule for over 40 years, and their extensive recording catalog, they have been on the Billboard charts in each decade of their existence, recording for RCA Records, Columbia Records, Philips and Decca.

The first recordings the Brass created were for the CBC radio transcription service, including their very first major concert in Toronto the summer of 1971. Record producer Eleanor Sniderman discovered the group and put the group on its first commercial LPs in 1973 and 1974, which then attracted major artist management in New York City. In 1977, a live radio broadcast on WQXR was heard by multi-Grammy award-winning producer Jay Saks, who was impressed, and brought the group to the prestigious RCA Red Seal label. The ensemble was then scouted by CBS records, soon to be Sony, where they recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony brass players, establishing a repertoire that is now standard for expanded brass ensembles.

The band has been named the "one of the most popular brass ensembles in the world" by The Washington Post.

This ensemble has appeared on all the major North American TV networks, Late Night with Johnny Carson, CBS Sunday Morning and most recently on Hunan TV in China with more than 500,000 viewers. Their awards range from three honorary doctorates to Grammy, Canadian Juno and German Echo recording awards. Most recently, founder Daellenbach was appointed to the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour, in 2014. Wikipedia