Percussion Ensemble

Under the leadership of co-directors Timothy Adams, Jr. and Kimberly Toscano Adams, the University of Georgia Percussion Ensemble has gained notoriety in the collegiate percussion community. The group has performed extensively throughout the Southeast, including numerous appearances at the Georgia Music Educator's Association state conventions and appearances at various "Day of Percussion" programs. The Percussion Ensemble has also been featured on the Second Thursday Concert Series, the subscription concert series of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music.

As champions of contemporary music, the Percussion Ensemble has been charged with world premieres of several important new works, including Song of Middle Earth by Daniel McCarthy, commissioned directly for the UGA percussion studio and performed by the Ensemble with Michael Burritt.

The Southern Wind Quintet is a graduate chamber music ensemble established in 1999 at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. The Quintet represents some of the finest instrumental musicianship on campus, and frequently appears in UGA recitals and televised campus events.  They have also been invited to perform in concert series throughout the southeast and can be heard on local radio broadcasts and promotional CDs.

Recently, the ensemble has begun to collaborate with other disciplines, including ballet, to provide unique artistic experiences to audiences. 

Each semester, several small groups of various sizes make up the University of Georgia Saxophone Chamber Music Program, including quartets and the UGA Saxophone Ensemble.  The Saxophone Ensemble is the largest of these groups, with the studio performing some of the best original and transcribed literature on the entire saxophone family: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass. 

Chamber music allows saxophone students at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music to grow artistically and technically on their instruments, as they learn to rehearse on their own and rely on their own ears and minds to sculpt the music.  Students will also develop critical life skills in the areas of leadership, independent thinking and communication.  The saxophone chamber music program instills a greater sense of community within the studio and is often where individual identities begin to emerge.

The UGA Bassoon Ensemble, directed by Amy Pollard, performs actively on and off campus. Consisting of bassoon majors and non-majors, the group offers the opportunity for students to make high-quality music with other bassoonists.

The Ensemble has performed at conferences of the Georgia Music Educators Association, the Southeastern Composers League, and the International Double Reed Society, and programs bassoon ensemble literature as well as frequent musical arrangements by its own members.

The British Brass Band is UGA’s newest brass and percussion ensemble. Its instrumentation, which is standard for brass bands around the world, is…

Because of the conical nature of these brass instruments, the sound of the band is more lush and mellow than the typical orchestral brass ensemble. The exception is the trombone section, which acts as the trumpet sound of the band. With these attributes, the brass band can play from the most intimate to the most dynamic and vibrant of colors. Our repertoire encompasses a wide variety of styles including excellent original works, marvelous transcriptions of orchestral works, as well as marches and other light pieces. The original brass band works will feature British composers such as Holst and Elgar, moving through the timeline to Eric Ball and Wilfred Heaton, to current composers such as Kenneth Downie, Peter Graham, Kevin Norbury, and Philip Spark. As the brass band is now flourishing in the United States, we will also feature American composers such as Bruce Broughton, Stephen Bulla, James Curnow, William Himes and Joseph Turrin.

Upon hearing the band, it will become apparent as to why this kind of brass ensemble is the best way to train brass players for the musical, technical and physical demands of their instrument.

The UGA British Brass Band has quickly become a favorite of audiences of all ages in the Athens – Atlanta area, with notable recent performances in UGA Holiday Concerts, at the Performing Arts Center’s Saturday Morning Club, as part of the School of Music's Scholarship Series and at the Chick-fil-A corporate headquarters’ Christmas Open House.

The UGA Trombone Choir provides a musical outlet for studio members and non-majors alike.  Directed by Dr. Josh Bynum, this group meets twice each week, and features a variety of musical styles and creative opportunities for the students (including conducting, arranging, and soloing).   Repertoire for the Trombone Choir ranges from original literature to transcriptions of classical and popular music.  We are also committed to new repertoire, having participated in several commission consortiums.  

In addition to campus concert and engagements, the UGA Trombone Choir has been a featured ensemble at the GMEA Conference, JanFest Showcase, and also performs at UGA Athletic Events.

The UGA Trombone Ensemble is a select group of twelve members from the UGA Trombone Studio.  This modular group is comprised of three trombone quartets, performing in a variety of combinations.  The UGA Trombone Ensemble has one extended rehearsal each week, and is driven by the benefits of chamber music.   Repertoire consists of musically and technically demanding original works and arrangements that showcase the abilities and qualities of the group.  

In addition to campus and community engagements, the UGA Trombone Ensemble has been featured at the International Trombone Workshop, Eastern Trombone Workshop, and GMEA Conference.  This group is designed for ease of outreach, and performs regularly for area schools, retirement communities, and music guilds. 

The University of Georgia Horn Choir is an active performance opportunity for both horn majors and non-majors at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Directed by Dr. Jean Martin-Williams and Dr. James Naigus, the Horn Choir explores traditional horn choir repertoire in addition to newer music and transcriptions.

The Horn Choir performs frequently at the Southeast Horn Workshop and has received numerous invitations to perform at the International Horn Society Annual Conference.  The ensemble also performs on campus and at venues in the Atlanta area.

In addition to performing with the large ensemble, students in the UGA Horn Choir are also encouraged to study and perform repertoire for smaller chamber groups, including duets, trios, and quartets. All members of the UGA Horn Choir can receive academic credit for their participation.

Please visit the Horn Studio Website for more information.

The Bulldog Brass Society is the premier graduate brass quintet at the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs were created in the fall of 1996 by Frederick Mills, founding member of the Canadian Brass and professor emeritus of trumpet at the Hodgson School.

The ensemble, one of the most active student chamber groups on campus, performs repertoire ranging from Bach to 20th Century works as well as more popular music including home grown arrangements by their members. The BBS has performed throughout the nation and the world, including a European tour, a concert at the Southern Division MENC / Georgia Music Educators Association Conference in Savannah, GA and a special invitation to the Southeastern Composers League Convention.

The quintet has also played throughout the community at the Centennial Celebration of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and at local churches, retirement communities, and outdoor public concerts. Contact Dr. Joshua Bynum for more information.

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Current members:

Victor Pires - Trumpet

Adriano Estraiotto- Trumpet

Jonah Hammett - Horn

Ian Wolff - Trombone

Hunter Kane - Tuba

The Georgia Woodwind Quintet is Ensemble in Residence at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music.. Since its founding in 1967, the quintet has maintained an active schedule performing woodwind chamber music from the early quintets of Danzi and Reicha to twentieth-century compositions.

The quintet champions new compositions for woodwinds. It has sponsored seven Symposia for New Woodwind Quintet Music at the University of Georgia since 1978 and recorded a compact disc of winning compositions from past Symposia entitled Twigs: Winning Compositions from the University of Georgia Symposia for New Woodwind Quintet Music by ACA Digital Recordings, Inc.