Photgraphy by Cavitt Productions
There is only one regularly-performing 24-trumpet musical ensemble in the United States, and it has its home in the Twin Cities! The Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble (TCTE) was founded in 2014 by a trio of trumpeters who decided to invite others to join them for trumpet playing and camaraderie. It took only a few months for the group to grow to 24 of the best trumpet players in the area.
Since its inception in 2014 they have had well over 100 players in their ranks and have played well over 100 performances. The ensemble has performed 226 works encompassing music from the Renaissance to the present. In 2021 TCTE released it's first CD album, "Soundings".
Under the direction of James Olcott and with an impressive repertoire, the TCTE has given numerous successful performances and is in demand for appearances around the region. The ensemble is augmented by percussion/timpani, and occasional low brass.
Performances 2015-2025:
<> 38 major TCTE concerts, including two feature performances at Minnesota Music
Educators Conferences (2018, 2023), and a formal concert at the 2023
international conference of the International Trumpet Guild.
<> 22 appearances in the regional parks (Boerboom, Lake Hariett, Lake Como, Wolfe
Park, Normandale Lake, Richfield Pavilion, Hudson, and others)
<> 31 Collaborative concerts - Performances with the Sousa Band, the 104th Army
Band, the Kenwood and Linden Hills Symphonies, Wild Prairie Brass Choir, St. Croix Community Band,
the Austin Community Band, the Minneapolis Trombone Choir, the Lake Wobegon Brass Band and
the Medalist Band of Minneapolis, several high school ensembles, and one choir.
<> Seven times at the Vintage Band Festival in Northfield.MN, where it will again perform a full in
2026.
<> 37 Outreach performances including the Ataxia Foundation, the 9-11 Tribute, churches,
including one funeral and a memorial service, and several high schools in the region where the
group also held clinics.
Fans of the TCTE have come to expect the obligatory opening fanfare at concerts, but then are astonished at the range and virtuosity of both the musical selections and the players.
With its unique instrumental configuration and wide-ranging repertoire, The TCTE has the ability to create aural representations and evoke emotions that:
1) attract attention
2) excite
3) create fun/enjoyment
4) celebrate
5) inspire
6) enrich
Educational Outreach is also a major part of the Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble's mission. Elementary and middle school Arts Immersion days as well as college-level master classes and clinics have made up a part of the TCTE calendar since its inception. In addition to working on technical and interpretive skills, the ensemble also promotes the life-long value of music education.
The Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble is a 501(c)3 organization, recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service. All donations to the ensemble as tax-deductible.
Since its inception in 2014 they have had well over 100 players in their ranks and have played well over 100 performances. The ensemble has performed 226 works encompassing music from the Renaissance to the present. In 2021 TCTE released it's first CD album, "Soundings".
Under the direction of James Olcott and with an impressive repertoire, the TCTE has given numerous successful performances and is in demand for appearances around the region. The ensemble is augmented by percussion/timpani, and occasional low brass.
Performances 2015-2025:
<> 38 major TCTE concerts, including two feature performances at Minnesota Music
Educators Conferences (2018, 2023), and a formal concert at the 2023
international conference of the International Trumpet Guild.
<> 22 appearances in the regional parks (Boerboom, Lake Hariett, Lake Como, Wolfe
Park, Normandale Lake, Richfield Pavilion, Hudson, and others)
<> 31 Collaborative concerts - Performances with the Sousa Band, the 104th Army
Band, the Kenwood and Linden Hills Symphonies, Wild Prairie Brass Choir, St. Croix Community Band,
the Austin Community Band, the Minneapolis Trombone Choir, the Lake Wobegon Brass Band and
the Medalist Band of Minneapolis, several high school ensembles, and one choir.
<> Seven times at the Vintage Band Festival in Northfield.MN, where it will again perform a full in
2026.
<> 37 Outreach performances including the Ataxia Foundation, the 9-11 Tribute, churches,
including one funeral and a memorial service, and several high schools in the region where the
group also held clinics.
Fans of the TCTE have come to expect the obligatory opening fanfare at concerts, but then are astonished at the range and virtuosity of both the musical selections and the players.
With its unique instrumental configuration and wide-ranging repertoire, The TCTE has the ability to create aural representations and evoke emotions that:
1) attract attention
2) excite
3) create fun/enjoyment
4) celebrate
5) inspire
6) enrich
Educational Outreach is also a major part of the Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble's mission. Elementary and middle school Arts Immersion days as well as college-level master classes and clinics have made up a part of the TCTE calendar since its inception. In addition to working on technical and interpretive skills, the ensemble also promotes the life-long value of music education.
The Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble is a 501(c)3 organization, recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service. All donations to the ensemble as tax-deductible.
The Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble's
Mission, Vision, and Values
MISSION:
To enliven, entertain, and enrich our community through artistic excellence by presenting trumpet music of quality and stylistic and emotional diversity.
VISION:
Recognizing that the trumpet holds a special place in the psyche of society, the TCTE models the transformative power of music through the performance of repertoire written for three or more trumpets.
VALUES:
Musical integrity Excellence Commitment Camaraderie
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
James Olcott was professor of trumpet for 35 years at Miami University (Ohio), where he led a dynamic trumpet studio with several top-notch ensembles. While at Miami he was an active player throughout the area and around the country in both jazz and classical genres, including holding the position of principal trumpet of the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra for nearly 25 years. With an abiding interest in trumpet ensemble as a musical and pedagogical tool, he founded trumpet ensembles at Miami University, began the Cincinnati Herald Trumpet Ensemble in the early '80s, and has been a leading and ongoing proponent of the idiom throughout his adult life. It was partly for this reason that he was awarded the International Trumpet Guild's Award of Merit in 2005.
He has conducted jazz bands and brass groups throughout his 45-year teaching career, including professional, semi-pro, amateur, and student trumpet ensembles in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
As a composer and arranger of music for trumpet ensemble, his works are performed worldwide and are published by Crown Music Press of Chicago, Tromba Publications of Denver, and by his own publishing firm, Triplo Press, which he founded in 1991.
He has conducted jazz bands and brass groups throughout his 45-year teaching career, including professional, semi-pro, amateur, and student trumpet ensembles in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
As a composer and arranger of music for trumpet ensemble, his works are performed worldwide and are published by Crown Music Press of Chicago, Tromba Publications of Denver, and by his own publishing firm, Triplo Press, which he founded in 1991.
PERSONNEL:
The Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble is proud to boast the following musicians on its roster:
The Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble is proud to boast the following musicians on its roster:
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Trumpets:
Douglas Bradley Ronald Chamberlain Trevor Crawford Mitchell Dietz Ron Hasselmann Franklin Hotzel Alexander Kahler Gregory Kimball Ehrich Koch Richard Miller Blake Peterson Dan Odegaard Gene Poole Jeffrey Schuh Shannon Stewart Scott Swanson Christopher Tank Brian Tice David Wall Greg Wyman First Call subs: Lexi Cucchiaro Patrick Gefre Kenneth Green Liam Green Stuart Lane James Kozowski |
Low Brass:
John England (euphonium/bass trumpet) Michael Haynes (euphonium/bass trumpet) Richard Burt (euphonium/bass trumpet) Kevin Duggins (bass trumpet) Percussion: Andrew Artz Christian Anderson Julie Henry (principal) Scott Kirby Kat Felicis Ioco Ryan Olcott Jazz Rhythm section: Gary Gratz (piano) Scott Simpson (drums) Director/Conductor: James Olcott Trumpet Bench Strength: Neil Baumgartner Patrick Gefre Ed Hoffman Dan Julson Len Klun Joshua May Don Spangler |
TCTE Alumni:
John Ahern Sarah Kay Biser Mark Bobnick Jerry Cerchia Shannon Curtis Peter Davis Kate DeVoe Miriam Dennis David Foley Paul Grustans Kay Hawley John Herlihy Steven Hogenson Christopher Houser Eric Johnson Tim Killam Scott McCullough Martin Long Betty Mackay Kevin Mills Phil Norris Brooke Palmer Christine Palmer John Rotenberry (tuba) Jeff Rudoy Jeff Scholl Bill Simenson Ryan Stransky Derek Thorsteinsson Nicole Young Robert Zobal |
GENERAL PREMISE:
The principal ensemble, "The 24", rehearses twice a month and works on the premise that the players understand the necessity of preparedness prior to rehearsals. This enables the group to move quickly to musical, rather than rhythmical or technical issues during rehearsals.
A second ensemble, the 13-15-member TCTE Reading Group, meets ten times per year to read manuscripts received from composers, transcribers and arrangers from around the globe. The group works through an average of 13 compositions per session.
Members of the Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble are all dedicated musicians who stretch in age from 26 to 93 and represent professional and non-professional players who are retirees, students, teachers, and representatives of many professions not directly related to music. Working together, the group has become an important mainstay in the cultural landscape of the Twin Cities.
The principal ensemble, "The 24", rehearses twice a month and works on the premise that the players understand the necessity of preparedness prior to rehearsals. This enables the group to move quickly to musical, rather than rhythmical or technical issues during rehearsals.
A second ensemble, the 13-15-member TCTE Reading Group, meets ten times per year to read manuscripts received from composers, transcribers and arrangers from around the globe. The group works through an average of 13 compositions per session.
Members of the Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble are all dedicated musicians who stretch in age from 26 to 93 and represent professional and non-professional players who are retirees, students, teachers, and representatives of many professions not directly related to music. Working together, the group has become an important mainstay in the cultural landscape of the Twin Cities.
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©2021 Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble