I Think We All Can Use An Escape- Let’s hear it for the “Mnozil Brass”

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Mnozil Brass is an Austrian brass septet. They play classical, jazz and other styles of music using traditional brass instruments and more unusual instruments such as the customized rotary valved trumpet and bass trumpet. Music is presented with a typical Austrian style of humour, which can be approximately characterized as “jet black” and “here and there” absurd. Elements of slapstick exist next to virtuosic brass playing. They are often popularly referred to as “The Monty Python of the musical world”. Austrian and German schlager songs of the 20th century are often caricatured.

All founding members were graduates of the renowned Vienna College of Music, who met while playing at the Mnozil pub in Vienna’s first inner city district. The band was founded in 1992 although the first official outing was in 1993.

Former member Sebastian Fuchsberger was a great talent in imitating, for example, Johannes Heesters and Udo Jürgens. Mnozil Brass is able to convince the audience that playing music is not just serious business.
The septet cooperates with freelance director Bernd Jeschek who developed the stage programs “Smoke”, “Ragazzi” and “Seven”[2] and the “first operetta of the 21st century” titled “Das Trojanische Boot” (“The Trojan Boat”), whose world premiere was in 2005 during the German art festival RuhrTriennale.

The group has toured internationally and won praise from artists such as Barry Tuckwell, Chuck Findley, Jeff Nelson and Wycliffe Gordon.

Thomas Gansch (trumpet)
Robert Rother (trumpet)
Roman Rindberger (trumpet) (since 2004)
Leonhard Paul (trombone & bass trumpet)
Gerhard Füßl (trombone)
Zoltan Kiss (trombone) (since 2005)
Wilfried Brandstötter (tuba)

Bruce was a member of the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa, School of Music in Cedar Falls from 1969 until his retirement in 1999. He has performed with many well-known entertainers such as Bob Hope, Jim Nabors, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Anita Bryant, Carman Cavalara, Victor Borgie, the Four Freshman, Blackstone the Magician, Bobby Vinton and John Davidson.

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2 thoughts on “I Think We All Can Use An Escape- Let’s hear it for the “Mnozil Brass””

  1. Thomas Red

    Wow, this is a great informative post, I always have a special love for trumpet playing and recently I started taking trumpet lessons by Kurt Thompson, my experience is great. Your blogs has increased my knowledge about this. Thanks a lot, keep sharing!

    • Bruce Chidester

      Thank you for your comments and if you have any questions that I might help with, feel free to contact me.

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