Triangle Brass Band

The Triangle Brass Band was formed in 1986 as a joint venture of the A.J. Fletcher Foundation and Capitol Broadcasting Company of Raleigh, NC, and was known as the WRAL British Brass Band in its early years.  The band found immediate success in competition, winning either First or Second place at the North American Brass Band Association’s (NABBA) annual Championships in 1987, 88, 89, 90 and 92. TBB was the 3rd Section Champion at the 2018 and 2022 NABBA Championships, and runner-up in 2019.

Using the traditional British brass band instrumentation of Cornets, Flugelhorn, Tenor Horns, Baritones, Euphoniums, Trombones, Tubas and Percussion, this all brass and percussion group is extremely versatile, performing music from virtually all genres, from classical transcriptions, to pop and jazz, movie and Broadway music, and, of course, original brass band literature.   Members of the ensemble come from all walks of life, including lawyers, educators, IT professionals and retirees, to name a few. Continuing in the long-standing brass band tradition of amateur music making, players volunteer their time and talents to this unique type of band, and play just for the love of it. Weekly rehearsals, regular concerts and occasional competition appearances provide wonderful musical opportunities (and many challenges) for the group, resulting in a strong sense of camaraderie among the members.

Education has always been a cornerstone of the Triangle Brass Band organization, as many music educators perform in the band.  The first Triangle Youth Brass Band was founded In 1997, and the program has grown steadily to include three complete bands and percussion ensemble, which have also shown competitive success at the NABBA Championships.  It is considered to be one of the premier youth brass band programs in the country.

The Triangle Brass Band has featured many world-renowned soloists over the years, including Allen Vizzutti, Jens Lindemann, Steven Mead, Steve Sykes, Terry Everson, and Philip Smith, to name a few.  Distinguished local-area artists who have performed with the Triangle Brass Band include Paul Randall, Tim Stewart, Don Eagle, Jonathan Randazzo, Kent Foss, Andy Smith, and Jesse Rackley. Principal-chair players from the band are often featured as soloists, as well.  In 2016, the band sponsored the world-famous Cory Band, from England, for a concert while on their US Tour, selling out Raleigh’s 1,800-seat Meymandi Concert Hall, and creating a major buzz about brass bands in the Triangle area.  Music Directors of the band, since its inception, have included Dr. David Reed, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mr. Stan Tamplin, a native of Great Britain, Dr. Jack Stamp, of Campbell University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dr. James Hile, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Dr. Michael Votta, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Maryland, and Tony Granados. The band’s current Artistic Director is Jesse Rackley.

The Band has performed at many important conferences and festivals, such as the Eastern Music Festival, the Great American Brass Band Festival, the New York Brass Conference, the International Tuba Euphonium Conference, the NC Music Educators Association Conference, and has made many appearances at the North American Brass Band Association’s annual Championships.  With regular concerts in the Raleigh, Durham, and Cary areas, the Triangle Brass Band has spent over 30 years providing brass band music to its community and spreading awareness about the art of brass banding.

The Triangle Brass Band is funded in part by concert ticket sales, member dues, grants, and generous donations from our Sponsors. If you are interested in supporting the TBB’s mission with donations of either time or money, please contact us for more information.

We are Grateful to Our Sponsors for their Support of Great Brass Music