Director of Jazz & Commercial Music and Associate Professor of Trombone Matthew Niess, D.M.A., created, produced and launched the Winchester Jazz Collective on Dec. 15, at the Barns of Rose Hill with a performance of Duke Ellington’s “Nutcracker” and other holiday favorites. The group included Auxiliary Adjunct Associate Professor of Jazz and Trumpet Craig Fraedrich, M.M., Adjunct Associate Professor of Jazz Saxophone and Jazz Studies Darryl Brenzel, B.S., and Professor Emeritus of Jazz Piano Robert Larson ’08, D.M.A. The group plans to continue with more projects and concerts.
Dr. Niess and The Capitol Bones celebrated 25 years of their holiday concert with A Christmas Brass Spectacular on Dec. 19, with a sold-out performance at the Terrace Theatre at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Niess produced the event and performed several of his arrangements, including “My Favorite Things,” “Big Band Drummer Dude,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Blue Christmas.”
Niess performed with the Piedmont Wind Symphony and University of North Carolina Greensboro’s Brass Impact in Salem, North Carolina, on Nov. 3, as one of four brass artists featured on the program World Class Brass All-Stars, a celebration of the best from around the world. Other artists included Adam Rappa (trumpet), Jeff Scott (horn) and Oyster Baadsvik (tuba).
Niess performed with the Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra on Dec. 3, in a program featuring the music of Thad Jones, Count Basie and others in the Baird Auditorium at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.
Niess directed the second annual Low Brass Christmas with brass icon Christopher Bill in Winchester, Virginia, at John Handley High School on Dec. 10. The play-along holiday tradition has its roots in Tuba Christmas and is open to all low brass players (tuba, euphonium and trombone). The Studio Big Band and Trombone Collective gave a pre-concert featuring holiday favorites from Stan Kenton, Thad Jones, Glenn Miller and others.
Niess performed with the American Festival Pops Orchestra Holiday concert directed by Peter Wilson on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9, at the Hylton Center in Manassas, Virginia, and the Center for the Arts in Fairfax, Virginia.
Niess performed with the Loudoun Symphony along with Carter Fensterstock ’27 (Bachelor of Music in Jazz & Commercial Music – Piano) and Oscar Mason ’24 (Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance – Trumpet), performing the “The Nutcracker” and other holiday favorites. The holiday concert took place Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, in Ashburn and Aldie, Virginia.
