Baylor Brass
The Baylor Brass brings a wealth of experience to its performances and educational clinics. Made up of the Baylor University brass faculty, the group concertizes regularly on the Baylor campus, in the public schools throughout Texas, and has toured major music schools outside of Texas and abroad. Recent tours have included performances at Indiana University, Oberlin, University of Florida and South Florida, Columbus State University, University of Alabama and the University of Southern Mississippi. The group's most recent tour had the group performing in five universities in North Carolina: Appalachian State, NC School of the Arts, Western Carolina, East Carolina and UNC-Greensboro.
The members of Baylor Brass have impressive credentials as chamber music performers, clinicians, and as instrumental coaches. This directly benefits the students at Baylor through chamber music classes and the activities of the individual brass studios which are overseen and coached personally by members of the Baylor Brass. The Baylor Brass believe that the playing abilities, collaborative skills, and musical awareness developed in rehearsing and performing chamber music equips our students to be more effective in large ensembles, and as professional performers or educators.
Appalachian State University
Wiff Rudd
Professor of Trumpet, Chair-Brass Area
A San Antonio native, Wiff Rudd joined the Baylor faculty in 2002, received the prestigious Baylor University Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching in 2010 and was name the 2010 Centennial Professor. Mr. Rudd was previously on the faculties of the University of Arkansas and Oklahoma Baptist University. As a performer he toured internationally with the Dallas Brass for eight years and is a founding member of Rhythm and Brass (1993). R&B has toured extensively concertizing and presenting educational clinics throughout the United States and foreign countries, and has several critically acclaimed recordings. In addition to serving as principal trumpet of the Waco Symphony, Mr. Rudd’s orchestral experience includes work with such orchestras as the Dallas Symphony, the Oklahoma Symphony, the Houston Symphony and the Houston Grand Opera. His experience as a soloist includes the New York premiere performance of Joseph Turrin’s Chronicles for Trumpet and Wind Symphony in Carnegie Hall and appearances at the annual Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Mr. Rudd is a Yamaha Artist/Clinician and has presented over 300 clinics and master classes at colleges, universities, conservatories, conferences, conventions and music festivals across the country.
Professor of Trumpet, Chair-Brass Area
A San Antonio native, Wiff Rudd joined the Baylor faculty in 2002, received the prestigious Baylor University Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching in 2010 and was name the 2010 Centennial Professor. Mr. Rudd was previously on the faculties of the University of Arkansas and Oklahoma Baptist University. As a performer he toured internationally with the Dallas Brass for eight years and is a founding member of Rhythm and Brass (1993). R&B has toured extensively concertizing and presenting educational clinics throughout the United States and foreign countries, and has several critically acclaimed recordings. In addition to serving as principal trumpet of the Waco Symphony, Mr. Rudd’s orchestral experience includes work with such orchestras as the Dallas Symphony, the Oklahoma Symphony, the Houston Symphony and the Houston Grand Opera. His experience as a soloist includes the New York premiere performance of Joseph Turrin’s Chronicles for Trumpet and Wind Symphony in Carnegie Hall and appearances at the annual Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Mr. Rudd is a Yamaha Artist/Clinician and has presented over 300 clinics and master classes at colleges, universities, conservatories, conferences, conventions and music festivals across the country.
Mark Schubert
Lecturer in Trumpet and Chamber Music
Mark Schubert began teaching at Baylor in 2011. A founding member of the Honolulu Brass Quintet, which is a resident ensemble of Chamber Music Hawaii (CMH), Mark brings extensive orchestra and chamber music experience to the Baylor Brass and the trumpet studio. While Mark was chairman of the CMH board, he spearheaded the development of an extensive educational program, bringing chamber music performances and workshops to public and private schools in Hawaii. While in Hawaii he taught at the University of Hawaii and during the summer Mark serves on the faculty of the Brevard Music Festival and Institute. Mr. Schubert’s performance credits include appearances with such orchestras as the Boston Symphony and Pops Orchestras, the Filarmonica de las Americas (Mexico City), the Opera Company of Boston, the Boston Ballet, the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony, and the Plano Symphony. Mark is currently a member of the Waco Symphony and is Yamaha Artist/Clinician.
Powers and Rudd in Amsterdam
Jeffrey Powers
Associate Professor of Horn
Mr. Powers, also a native of San Antonio, has over twenty-five years of full time professional experience as an orchestral musician serving as second horn of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, second horn of the New Jersey Symphony, fourth horn with the Cleveland Orchestra and sixteen years as co - principal horn of the Royal Philharmonic of Flanders in Belgium. Presently he is principal horn of the Waco Symphony Orchestra and the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, and he plays extra and substitute horn with the Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony and the East Texas symphony. In demand as a soloist, Mr. Powers has premiered several solos written specifically for him and released three solo CD’s to date, with a fourth in the final stages of production. Known for his clinics and master classes, Mr. Powers brought extensive teaching experience to his position at Baylor having been on music faculties at such institutions as the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, Belgium, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He also served for a number of years on the faculty of the MasterWorks Festival sponsored by the Christian Performing Artists Fellowship held each summer at Winona Lake in Indiana.
Associate Professor of Horn
Mr. Powers, also a native of San Antonio, has over twenty-five years of full time professional experience as an orchestral musician serving as second horn of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, second horn of the New Jersey Symphony, fourth horn with the Cleveland Orchestra and sixteen years as co - principal horn of the Royal Philharmonic of Flanders in Belgium. Presently he is principal horn of the Waco Symphony Orchestra and the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, and he plays extra and substitute horn with the Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony and the East Texas symphony. In demand as a soloist, Mr. Powers has premiered several solos written specifically for him and released three solo CD’s to date, with a fourth in the final stages of production. Known for his clinics and master classes, Mr. Powers brought extensive teaching experience to his position at Baylor having been on music faculties at such institutions as the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, Belgium, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He also served for a number of years on the faculty of the MasterWorks Festival sponsored by the Christian Performing Artists Fellowship held each summer at Winona Lake in Indiana.
David Heyde (BU alum) with Baylor Faculty - DSO Tour, Concertgebouw
Brent Phillips
Associate Professor of Trombone
Brent Phillips began his professional musical career with the prestigious “President’s Own” Marine Band. While a Marine he was a frequent soloist with both the band and Marine Chamber Orchestra and was a featured soloist on the band’s 52 day national tour in 2000. Joining the faculty of Baylor University in 2004, Mr. Phillips continues to maintain a diverse jet-setting playing career. He currently serves as principal trombone of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (since 1996), the Waco Symphony Orchestra and the Abilene Philharmonic, is a founding member of the touring and recording trombone quartet Stentorian Consort, and has appeared regularly with the orchestras of Dallas, San Antonio, and his hometown, Houston. As a soloist he has performed with the Great American Brass Band Festival, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, TMEA, the Eastern Trombone Workshop, and of course the Marine Band and Chamber Orchestra. His recording credits include work for the Marine Band, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Performance Today on public radio, the Stentorian Consort, and two solo CD’s.
Associate Professor of Trombone
Brent Phillips began his professional musical career with the prestigious “President’s Own” Marine Band. While a Marine he was a frequent soloist with both the band and Marine Chamber Orchestra and was a featured soloist on the band’s 52 day national tour in 2000. Joining the faculty of Baylor University in 2004, Mr. Phillips continues to maintain a diverse jet-setting playing career. He currently serves as principal trombone of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (since 1996), the Waco Symphony Orchestra and the Abilene Philharmonic, is a founding member of the touring and recording trombone quartet Stentorian Consort, and has appeared regularly with the orchestras of Dallas, San Antonio, and his hometown, Houston. As a soloist he has performed with the Great American Brass Band Festival, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, TMEA, the Eastern Trombone Workshop, and of course the Marine Band and Chamber Orchestra. His recording credits include work for the Marine Band, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Performance Today on public radio, the Stentorian Consort, and two solo CD’s.
Dr. Kent Eshelman
Assistant Professor of Tuba/Euphonium
Kent Eshelman joined the Baylor University faculty in 2009. He holds a doctorate in tuba performance from Michigan State University, a master’s degree in tuba performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and bachelor degrees in tuba performance and jazz piano from the University of Michigan. He has taught previously at Northern Arizona University, Western Kentucky University, Grand Valley State University, and the Interlochen Arts Academy. Dr. Eshelman has won first place in numerous national and international solo competitions, and he regularly appears as soloist at regional, national and international tuba conferences. In addition to solo work, Dr. Eshelman has performed frequently with the tuba quartet Sotto Voce and with numerous orchestras. In 2012 he is slated to appear as guest artist with the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble at the U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference; to premiere Bruce Broughton’s new composition “Turbulence” at the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Austria; and to release his first solo tuba album. His jazz tuba CD, Life Is Good, is available on PKO Records and was a finalist for the 2006 ITEA Roger Bobo Excellence in Recording Award.