Robbins Farley Honors Brass Quintet Dedication & Inaugural Concert

Merit-Bases Scholarships made possible by local businessman support advanced student musicians in their pursuit of music education.

Thanks to the generosity of local businessman Bob Robbins, Managing Principal at Robbins Farley, the Manchester Community Music School has formed an auditioned honors brass quintet. All five members of the Robbins Farley Honors Brass Quintet receive merit-based scholarships, made possible by Mr. Robbins’ gift, to participate in the ensemble.  The ensemble is directed by Music School Faculty Member Vincent Duval.

“As a life-long musician myself, and a board member of the Music School, I wanted to make a significant investment in music education. Offering some of the most promising brass students in New Hampshire with the opportunity to perform challenging pieces, advance their own technique and talent, and act as ambassadors for the school achieves that goal.  I am proud of the selected students, and honored to be part of the Music School family in this way,” commented Robbins.

The Robbins Farley Honors Brass Quintet is comprised of: trumpeters Eric Smith and Benjamin Michon; trombone player, Tim Vigneau; french horn player Annie Steenson; and tuba player Emily Guillemette.  All of these students are participating in the All-State Music Festival and Michon, Vigneau, Steenson and Guillemette are participating in the All-State Jazz Music Festival.

Manchester Community Music School CEO, Jeanine Tousignant, praised Robbins’ intent and gift. “We are so grateful for Bob’s commitment to music education. His profound passion for the art of the brass quintet will impact these students for the rest of their lives. In addition, it benefits the school’s overall ability to offer the highest quality music education in the state.”

The Robbins Farley Honors Brass Quintet performed their inaugural concert at the school’s annual Winter Concert this past Sunday, January 20^th. They performed selections ranging from Williams’ Rhosymedre to Lennon and McCartney’s Ob-la-di, Ob-la, da. The group will continue to perform at the school and in the community.

To learn more about the Manchester Community Music School’s Youth Ensembles Program, visit our ensembles page.  We also offer private lessons tailored to the learning style and needs of each student.