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Tag: Brass

Mr. Bentley Corbett-Wilson

Mr. Bentley Corbett-Wilson

Mr. Bentley Corbett-Wilson was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. During his time in Nevada, Bentley played trumpet with the Las Vegas Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, which toured China in 2011. In 2012, he made his Carnegie Hall debut after being selected to perform with the Honors Performance Series Orchestra. Upon graduating high school, he moved to Maryland to attend UMBC as a Music Education student.

During his tenure at UMBC, Bentley found himself not only developing his artistry as a musician and music educator, but his capabilities as a leader. Bentley played trumpet with the UMBC Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, and had the opportunity to perform alongside a number of highly recognized musicians and chamber groups such as: the Canadian Brass, the American Brass Quintet, Brad Ellis, Oystein Baadsvik, Joe Burgstaller, Hiram Diaz and other members of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band. Bentley was also a part of the recording ensemble for the upcoming album being released by the UMBC Wind Ensemble, which featured newly premiered pieces such as “Chiaroscuro II” by Anna Rubin and “McGuffy’s Reeder” by Brad Ellis. Bentley was also notably the President of the Student Government Association.

Bentley also performed staple repertoire of brass chamber music with the UMBC Brass Quintet for multiple years, and spent some time spent with the UMBC Pep Band and Jazz Ensemble as well. As a music educator, Bentley had the privilege of working with talented students in the Baltimore area through the El Sistema driven Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids Program, as well as with various other schools in the state. Through his teachings, he recognized the power that music has to not only make someone a great musician, but its potential to create empathetic leaders who bring about positive change in their communities.

After graduating, Bentley spent two years traveling across the country as a Leadership Consultant, advising college students on effective leadership practices and organizational development. Bentley then returned to UMBC receive a Master of Arts in Teaching. During these years, he had the incredible opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall once again through the Honors Performance Series, and later in Schladming, Austria, with the World Adult Wind Orchestra Project. Bentley is now a band teacher with Howard County Public Schools, where he teaches instruction for all wind instruments.

Mr. Jonah Kappraff

Jonah Kappraff is a trumpet performer and teacher new to the Baltimore area. Having trained at the Oberlin Conservatory (B.M. performance/education) and Boston University (M.M. performance) he spent a decade freelancing in Boston before relocating to central Pennsylvania in 2015. In Boston, Jonah was a regular member of the Lexington Symphony, the Marsh Chapel Collegium Musicum, and the avant-garde Boston Modern Brass Quintet, and performed frequently with the Boston Ballet, the Boston Pops, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and Odyssey Opera. He also maintained a robust teaching studio, mentoring students who frequently competed in state and national competitions.

In Pennsylvania, Jonah performed with the Williamsport Symphony, York Symphony, Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, and the Penn’s Woods Music Festival. Additionally, he was featured as a guest soloist with the Penn Central Wind Band in 2017 and in performances of the J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 with the Allegretto Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster and the Nantucket Baroque Festival. Jonah has played principal trumpet with the Boston-based Ambient Orchestra (dir. Evan Ziporyn) since 2016, a group with whom he has toured nationally and internationally.

As a recitalist and clinician, Jonah has presented solo recitals and masterclasses at Keene State College, MIT, Harvard University, Bucknell University, and Lycoming College. His primary teachers have been Terry Everson, Steve Emery, and Roy Poper.