Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass Plays Winter Center of Millersville University Tonight

The jazz ensemble of the Department of Music of Millersville University will join America's top brass musicians of the Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass in concert at the Winter Center of Millersville University tonight, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. The Winter Center is located at 60 W. Cottage Ave, Millersville. The concert, which is open to the public, is made possible by the Melva S. McIllwaine Concert and Masterclass Endowment.

Called a "trumpet prodigy" by Philadelphia Weekly Press, Rodney Mack was born with the trumpet in his blood in New Orleans. At age 11, he took trumpet lessons from his cousin, Wynton Marsalis. He went on to train at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and become Principal Trumpet with the Barcelona Symphony and teach at Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC), one of Spain's leading conservatories. Now Principal Trumpet for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and Lancaster Chamber Orchestra, he is leader of the Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass, which burst onto the local music scene with a debut performance in Philadelphia's Kimmel Center in Verizon Hall, a residency for the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, and were featured on the National Public Radio show, "All Things Considered."

Dedicated to bringing the joyous experience of great music to a wide range of audiences and especially to inspire young musicians, the Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass is made up of a veritable "dream team" of virtuoso brass players-men and women-and has appeared on the world's most prominent stages, including in recent years China's National Center for the Performing Arts, Tangelwood's Seiji Ozawa Hall, and several prominent halls in Brazil and Italy.

Tickets for the concert at the Winter Center are $18 general admission, and can be purchased online at ArtsMU.com, or by calling the Ticket Office at Millersville University, 717-871-7600. Tickets can also be purchased at the Ticket Office, located on the MU campus in the Student Memorial Center, or at the front desk of the Ware Center, 42 N. Prince Street, Lancaster.

For more information, contact the Music Office at Millersville University, at 717-871-4700, or music.assistant@millersville.edu.