Donald E. Osborne,  Director California Artists Management 564 Market Street, Suite 420, San Francisco, CA  94104-5412 415 362-2787 / fax: 415 362-2838 / Skype: calartistsdon  / Email

Susan Endrizzi Morris,  Director California Artists Management P.O. Box  2479, Mendocino, CA  95460-2479 707-937-4787 / cell: 415-302-1083 / Skype: sueendrizzi / Email

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A lot of brass, a lot of music, and a lot of fun.

Metales M5 is Mexico's leading brass quintet. M5 programs range through the brass literature and include classical and world music, contemporary repertoire and pops arrangements.  The five musicians break the barriers of musical genres as they take the Blues to the Opera and Bach to the roads of Michoacán. As evidenced in their CDs “Esta Cañón,” and “BACH”, M5 mixes the well known with the unexpected - surprising, virtuosic and always entertaining. With their skills for fine classical chamber music, showmanship, non-stop interaction with the audience and Latin American charm, the concert becomes a unique musical-theatrical performance.

Since its founding five years ago in Morelia, the capital of Michoacán in the Central Highlands of Mexico, the brass quintet has performed hundreds of concerts throughout Mexico, including a 30-concert tour through 10 states of Mexico and recent tours through the states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas. M5 receives frequent invitations to renowned international music festivals such as the Music Festival and the Jazz Festival of Morelia, the Chamber Music Festival of Aguascalientes, the FAOT Festival in Sonora, etc.  The quintet made its American debut during the 2007-08 season with performances in Texas, Nebraska (Meadowlark Music Festival), Pennsylvania, Vermont, Alberta  (Banff Centre) and Colorado (Pueblo Symphony). Metales M5 is Ensemble-in-Residence at Morelia’s Conservatorio de las Rosas, North America’s oldest conservatory of music. 

Metales M5 celebrated its 5th anniversary in 2010, introducing three special programs during May-July: "Esta Cañón", "Brass Spectacular" and “Movie Time” which premiered in Mexico City. Metales M5 is touring the U.S. twice during the 2010-11 Season, with concerts in California, Illinois, Florida and New Mexico.  They will have four tours in 2011-12, with more than 80 concert engagements throughout the Western and Midwest States. Metales M5 - Mexican Brass is becoming one of Mexico's most active cultural ambassadors.

            “M5 created their own sound and identity…their infectious enthusiasm

            for performing and impeccable playing should be heard around the world.”

-          JENS LINDEMANN, internationally renowned trumpet soloist,

-          former member of the Canadian Brass

THE PERFORMERS

German-born ALEXANDER FREUND (Trumpet) earned degrees from the Universities of Arts of Berlin and Saarbrücken where he studied with Bob Platt, Konradin Groth (Berlin Philharmonic) and Peter Leiner (“Das Rennquintett”).  He has participated in courses with Jens Lindemann, Allan Vizutti, Tim Morrison, Hannes Läubin, James Thompson, and the Canadian Brass.  Alex has been invited to play with such well-known  orchestras as the Berlin State Opera, Semper Opera Dresden, the Cologne Radio Orchestra, Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, and others.  In Germany he was contracted to play with the German Theater Berlin / Disney's production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and the Opera and Philharmonic of Bremen, and also with the symphony orchestras of Monterrey and Mineria in Mexico. He has performed as a soloist in Mexico, Korea, and various countries of Europe.  Alex was principal trumpet of the Morelia Symphony Orchestra and trumpet professor at the Conservatorio de las Rosas of Morelia.

Oscar Villegas MIRANDA (Trumpet) is originally from Texcoco, He studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City under maestro Francisco Peralta (National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, and has participated in master courses with Philip Smith (New York Philharmonic), Pierre Dutot (Paris Conservatory), Boyd Hood (Los Angeles Philharmonic) and Uwe Köller (German Brass), among others.  He has played with The State of Mexico Symphony, the Symphony Orchestra of Xalapa, and the Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra, and obtained contracts with the Acapulco and Morelia Symphony Orchestras.  Oscar is currently principal trumpet and soloist in the Philharmonic Orchestra of Toluca.

JUAN CARLOS QUITERIO MIGUEL (French Horn) was born in Mexico City, began playing music at age seven, and soon joined the José Pablo Moncayo Youth Orchestra.  He studied french horn at the National School of Music (UNAM) with Elizabeth Rising Kinsey. Juan Carlos has participated in master classes with such well-known musicians as Guelfo Nalli, Radovan Vladcovic, Martin Hackleman, and Jon Gustelv, as well as with members of the German Brass and Canadian Brass. Juan Carlos played principal horn in the Youth Symphony Orchestra in Toluca, and the Michoacán Symphony Orchestra in Morelia.  With the members of M5, he has participated in classes with Fred Mills and Jens Lindemann (both formerly of Canadian Brass), Jim Thompson (Eastman School of Music) and Andrew Hitz (Boston Brass). Juan Carlos is currently Co-principal horn in the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Hidalgo in Pachuca.

Fernando Islas Melendez (Trombone) was born in the state of Mexico and earned his degree at the National Conservatory of Music where he won first place in the chamber ensemble competition. Fernando has participated in master classes with Joseph Alessi (New York Philharmonic), Christian Lindberg and Alain Trudel.  He has been principal trombone of the State Orchestras of Hidalgo in Pachuca, Guanajuato and Puebla, and the Public Security Symphonic Band. He has played with the symphony orchestras of Mexico City, Monterrey and Toluca, the International Music Festival Orchestra of Morelia, the Chamber Orchestra of Bellas Artes, and others. Fernando has been principal trombone of the State of Michoacán Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Toluca. He currently plays principal trombone in the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico

José Lopez Juárez (Tuba) was born in Texcoco, He studied at the National Conservatory of Music and at the Music School of the Culture Centre “Ollin Yolitztli” in Mexico City with Erasto Vázquez and Dwight Sullinger (Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra).  Josè has participated in workshops and master classes with Alan Trudel and with members of the Meridian Arts Ensemble and the San Luis Brass Quintet. He toured Mexico for two years with a brass quintet and regularly plays with symphony orchestras in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Acapulco, Xalapa, Monterrey, and Guanajuato. Josè has been principal tuba with the Symphony Orchestra of the State of Hidalgo in Pachuca since 2002.