Brass students at Colorado State University have the opportunity to play in the region's top ensembles including two orchestras, three concert bands, two jazz bands, three chamber jazz ensembles, and a world class marching band. There are also many chamber opportunities including large brass ensemble, trumpet ensemble, horn ensemble, quintets, quartets, and trios. These ensembles have been featured at such venues as the Rocky Mountain Trumpet Fest, holiday events in Fort Collins, the Pepsi Center with the Denver Nuggets, CSU national concerts, and many more.
In the brass area, as opposed to working with a graduate student for instruction, students will study extensively with a professor of their instrument. Instrumental studios work in a competitive, yet friendly environment, allowing for great musical growth in the ensembles. In addition to personal instruction from the professor, combined studio classes offer pupils opportunity to work with other professors, allowing for an experience of breadth as well as depth. Prolific brass guest artists visit CSU every semester, giving students exposure to professionals in the field as an avenue for a diverse and comprehensive education. Many opportunities are available to students in this exclusive environment, fostering development towards becoming a well-rounded person, world-class performer, and successful teacher.
Study With

John McGuire
- Associate Professor of Music
- Horn, Chamber Music
- Brass Area Coordinator

Drew Leslie
- Associate Professor of Music
- Trombone
- Undergraduate Coordinator
- Music Minor Advisor
Brass Events

Symphonic Band Concert: Arecibo to Orion
Brass News
CSU Trombone Choir at the 2023 International Trombone Festival
Colorado State University’s Trombone Choir performed four world premier pieces at the 2023 International Trombone Festival, including compositions by Chris Evan Hass, Amber Sheeran (B.M. Music Education, CSU ’21), James M. David (CSU Professor of Music), and Kevin Poelking (CSU Assistant Professor of Bands). The group was invited to perform based on a submitted recording. […]
2023 American Prize Winners Announced and CSU Music Faculty Make the List
Three of CSU’s music faculty received 2023 American Prize recognition in the Instrumental Performance professional division. The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation’s most comprehensive series of contests in the classical arts. The prize is “nonprofit, unique in scope and structure, and is designed to evaluate, recognize and reward […]
Brass Blog
A Run-Out to Brazil
Well, this trip unexpectedly turned into quite the adventure! Clarinet Professor Wesley Ferreira and I left Colorado on Sunday, June 25, to head to Natal, Brazil for the 2017 International Horn Symposium, held at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). This is the largest single French horn event in the entire world […]