Parallel 
Brass
 

The founder of Parallel Brass, Richard Fields made his solo debut at age sixteen with the New World School of the Arts High School in Miami. He went on to win awards in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Competition hosted by Wynton Marsalis. Based in New York City, he performs regularly with ensembles such as the New World Symphony, Miami Symphony, Broward Symphony, Ensemble du Monde, Bravo Vail Valley Festival Brass Quintet, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Merida Mexico. He received his B.M and M.M from Suny Purchase State University of New York where his principal teachers were Graham Ashton, Rich Klemer and Lee Soper. He has also participated in the Luzerne Music Center and the Las Vegas Music Festival. As a smooth jazz artist Mr. Fields is in high demand and currently featured as a performer and composer on the new CD Walk Away alongside Mike Marrocco.

Robert Patrick began his musical studies at the age of 8, starting on the violin. At age 10 he discovered his true musical passion, the trumpet, and began his studies with the Danbury Catholic War Veterans Drum and Bugle Corps. Since then, he has maintained an active performing schedule in the greater Danbury area. Graduating from New Milford High School in 2008, Rob continued his education at Western Connecticut State University. While attending WCSU, Rob studied with some of the area’s most prominent performers and instructors, including; Rich Clymer, Thom Freas, Andy Rogers, Dr. Marjorie Callaghan and Dr. Fernando Jimenez among others. Rob is also an experienced guitarist, having studied with Chris Morrison and Lee Metcalf at WCSU. He graduated from WCSU with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance in 2012 and went on to graduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music, receiving a Master’s degree in 2016 and a Professional Studies certificate in 2017. At MSM Rob was able to split his time between trumpet and guitar, with studies in trumpet and brass from Mark Gould, Tom Smith, and David Finlayson as well as jazz guitar lessons with Jack Wilkins.

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Rob maintains an active performing schedule throughout Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts, performing in a wide variety of ensembles including the Norwalk Symphony, Parallel Brass, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Americas among others. Rob currently resides in Connecticut with his wife, Madeline, and their two dogs

Alex Gertner is a freelance horn player residing in Teaneck, New Jersey.  He received his Bachelor of Music from Virginia Commonwealth University, his Master of Music from the University of Connecticut, and an Artist's Diploma from Montclair State University.  A jack of all trades, Gertner plays in a variety of groups including symphonies, theatre, opera, chamber groups, jazz, and rock ensembles in the NYC metro area.  Alex performs regularly with groups such as the Norwalk Symphony, The Orchestra Now, Chrysalis Orchestra, and the Multicultural Music Orchestra.  He is the horn player for of Parallel Brass, a brass quintet whose goal is to encourage diversity in classical music in both performers and composers.

Gertner has played in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Lincoln Center, Kaufman Center, Symphony Space, and the International Horn Symposium.  As a soloist he has performed at Carnegie Hall, Society of Musical Arts, and the Northeast Horn Workshop.  He has had the opportunity to perform with artists including Solomiya Ivakhiv, David Chan, The Gil Evans Project, The Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Bucky Pizzarelli, Donny McCaslin, and The Machine.

Gertner finds great joy in performing and teaching new students of the instrument.  He would like to thank his family and friends for all the support that he has received.  His teachers include Kyle Hoyt, Robert Hoyle, Patrick Smith, Kate Sheeran, and Ilze Brink.

Sam George, a highly accomplished New York City based trombonist, has performed in groups such as the New World Symphony, Korean National Symphony Orchestra, New England Symphonic Ensemble, and on Broadway. His career has taken him to prestigious stages, including those of Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea. Sam's dedication to the craft also extends to chamber music, collaborating with groups like Parallel Brass, The Brass Project, and the Juilliard Trombone Choir. Sam George's journey is marked by a strong educational foundation, having earned a Master's degree in Orchestral Trombone Performance from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor's degree in Trombone Performance from the New England Conservatory.

In addition to his remarkable performance journey, Samuel is deeply committed to music education. He has shared his expertise as a low brass instructor at institutions such as Green Vale School and the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School. When Sam isn’t playing trombone, he loves to try new restaurants in the city and create dance music in the styles of house and drum and bass. With a passion for performance, a commitment to education, and a wealth of experience, Samuel George continues to shape the world of music with his extraordinary talent and unwavering dedication to craftsmanship on the trombone.

Deandre Desir began his tuba journey in 2014 and has been the principal tubist of the Montclair Orchestra since 2019. He frequently performs with musicians from the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, New York City Ballet, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the American Brass Quintet. Mr. Desir is a graduate of both the Juilliard Pre-College where he graduated with distinctions, as well as the Juilliard School where he received a full tuition scholarship. While at the conservatory, he was a Teaching Fellow for both undergraduate and graduate students in Music Theory and Ear Training, and has been serving as an Ear Training and Music Theory faculty member for their Pre-College program since 2020. Deandre made his solo debut in 2016 with the New York Times hailed ensemble Contemporaneous and was a finalist in the International Tuba and Euphonium Competition in 2017. He soon after created his private studio of students for tuba, music theory, and ear training, all of which he now teaches up to the doctoral level. Deandre can be heard with the Metropolis Ensemble on the soon to be released recording of “Telekinesis” by award winning composer Tyondai Braxton. His teachers include Alan Baer, Joseph Alessi, Denson Paul Pollard, John Rojak, Kyle Turner, and Warren Deck. Currently, he is pursuing professional certification at Harvard University in Leadership Communication and The University of Oxford in Climate Science.

In his free time, Deandre enjoys exercising, watching historical documentaries, reading political theory, practicing Japanese and reading on East Asian musical tradition, nerding over hi-fi audio product specifications, collecting artwork, and reading fictitious tales by his favorite authors Brandon Sanderson and George R. R. Martin.

Burt Mason performs regularly with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, serves on faculty at the Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program and is Principal Trombone of the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He has appeared as guest artist with the NY Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Brass, the Utah Symphony and as soloist with numerous ensembles, performing worldwide. Mr. Mason made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in March 2018 performing Albrechtsberger’s Concerto for Alto Trombone in Weill Recital hall with the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He has also appeared as soloist with numerous ensembles, performing throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. Mr. Mason has performed  in world-renowned venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Apollo Theater.  Mr. Mason has been featured as a soloist on a variety of recordings with the New York Staff Band on the Triumphonic label. He has also completed several recordings with the Chamber Orchestra of New York on the Naxos label. Mr. has recorded on several motion picture soundtracks including A Dog’s Purpose (Amblin  Entertainment) and the Live Action Lion King movie (Disney) released in 2019.

Mr. Mason holds a BA in Music from the Crane School of Music studying with Mark Hartman, an MBA in Arts Administration from Binghamton University, and an MM in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music studying with David Finlayson. He has had additional studies with Joseph Alessi and Weston Sprott. Mr. Mason is a Yamaha Performing Artist and Clinician and will make his Carnegie Hall solo debut in March 2018.