About the Trombone Choir
The late Emory Remington founded the Eastman Trombone Choir at the Eastman School of Music in 1941. It's current Director since 1978 is Kilbourn Professor John R.Marcellus.
Emory Remington, Professor of Trombone for nearly fifty years at the Eastman School , established the concept of the present day Trombone Choir as a pedagogical extension of the private trombone class to include for his trombone students, a musical ensemble experience. As a result, this concept has been imitated throughout most colleges and universities in the United States and abroad.
Remington's successor, Professor Donald Knaub, directed the Choir from 1972 to 1977 and expanded the scope of the Choir to include more interest in contemporary music and expanded its concert activities.
Professor Marcellus has continued this tradition and under his leadership the Choir had it's first tour of Germany and Holland in 2000 where they performed at the International Trombone Festival in Utrecht. The Choir has also appeared at the International Trombone Festivals in Nashville in 1979 and 1987. In 2001 the Choir was the winner of the Emory Remington Trombone Choir Competition.
In 1991, the choir performed at the International Trombone Workshop, which was held at the Eastman School to celebrate the centennial of Emory Remington. Other appearances include the Eastern Trombone Workshops in '79, '80, '85, '87, '91, '93, '95, '96, '98 — '01 and many New York Brass Conferences, Western Mass Trombone Workshop, Montreal Low Brass Workshop, National MENC, and NYSSMA conventions in Buffalo, Rochester at the Concord Hotel.
Other local concerts and performances have been with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rochester Oratorio Society, Hochstein School of Music and churches throughout the Rochester area. For many years the choir was a feature of the Rochester Bach Festival. The Choir has also recorded for Mark Records, MES50500, and Stoldat Records, SZM0120 and Williams Music, CD, WMP 1001.
The sound of the Eastman Trombone Choir has been described as "majestic," "noble," "brilliant," "soothing," and "exciting."
The choir also includes two jazz trombone ensembles within its current framework; they are the 10 member "Bionic Bones" and the Eastman-Winding Trombone Septet. The "Bionic Bones" features many original compositions and arrangements by its members with appearances at the Eastern Trombone Workshop, the 1997 and 1999 McMaster Low Brass Workshop in Hamilton , Ontario, and the Montclair State University Low Brass Workshop in 1998. The Bionic Bones won the Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble competition in 2002 in Denton, TX. The Eastman-Winding Trombone Septet was the winner of the 1997 Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble competition. This group utilizes the Kai Winding Trombone Septet library given to the Eastman School through the generosity of Mrs. Eleanor Winding with the assistance of Chuck Mangione.