Album Notes

"...The venue echoed with the resonant sound of trumpeter Brian Neal"
-Monterey Weekly (California)

"...and the bright , brassy sounds of the piccolo trumpet, expertly played by Brian Neal were exhilarating.
-Santa Cruz Sentinel (California)

Brian Neal, a performer known for his singing trumpet sound, has appeared on many of the concert venues, music conferences and music festivals nationally and internationally. Brian was born in New York City but considers himself a native of Miami, Florida, where by the age of fourteen he was performing as a soloist and by fifteen freelancing professionally with his teacher Gilbert Johnson (former principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra). Classically trained at the renowned Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he received a full scholarship, Mr. Neal was in demand as a freelance musician throughout the city. During summers he was a fellow at many of the major music festivals such as Tanglewood, Waterloo, Fountainbleau conservatory in France and Norfolk Chamber music festival where he performed with the Meridian Arts Ensemble. He has been a soloist and collaborator with classical stars such as Charles Dutoit, Yoel Levi, John Nelson, Seiji Ozawa, Simon Rattle, Stanislav Skorbachevsky, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Leon Fleischer.

Returning home to continue his degree at the University of Miami with Gilbert Johnson, he went on to play with the New World Symphony and Principal trumpet with the Miami Symphony. A prodigious talent, Brian Neal has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the country from the Monterey Ensemble and the California Symphony to the Florida Philharmonic and Miami Symphony.

In 1999, Brian Neal joined the renowned Dallas Brass, which is one of the premier brass ensembles in the world. He has participated in over 700 concerts, 2 recordings, 2 television appearances and hundreds of master classes and has performed with major orchestras around the country. Their busy schedule this year has taken them to Germany, Alaska, Moscow, Russia (where they performed at the US embassy) and extensive touring throughout the US.

In addition, he composes and arranges for orchestras and chamber ensembles (his most recent composition, “Dawn Fanfare” was commissioned by the Miami Symphony for the opening of the tenth anniversary season) and is active recording music both with the Dallas Brass (our latest CD, “American Musical Journey,” was recently released) and on his own ("Reflections" a solo trumpet and organ CD).

Brian resides in Miami with his wife, Karen, and their three children.