The Philharmonic Brass

European brass ensemble of twenty musicians, appearing at the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid with Tugan Sokhiev on the podium and a programme featuring Mussorgsky, Shostakóvich, Borodín and Prokófiev.

The Philharmonic Brass is a European brass ensemble made up of twenty musicians: soloists of international standing, professors at conservatoires, and desk players in the brass and percussion sections of major orchestras across the continent. Its sound combines the clarity of chamber music with the grandeur of a full symphony orchestra. The group works with bespoke arrangements and its own compositions, and usually performs without a conductor, relying on the close rapport between its members.

A distinctive feature of the ensemble is its use of Viennese horns (Wiener Horn) and German trumpets (Deutsche Trompete), which give its repertoire a distinctive timbre. It has performed on stages across Europe, Asia and other continents. On this occasion, Tugan Sokhiev, who has been invited to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert in 2027, takes up the baton for the ensemble.

The programme opens with Cuadros de una exposición by Mussorgsky and, in the second half, includes works by Shostakóvich, Borodín and Prokófiev, alongside other composers. The Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, devoted mainly to classical music, is home to the Orquesta Nacional de España and the Coro Nacional de España.