Internationally known as North America�s finest brass quintet, Empire Brass will perform in Stevens Point on Wednesday, Feb. 1, as part of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point�s Performing Arts Series.

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Sentry Theatre, 1800 North Point Drive.

Empire Brass (pictured above) is made up of Rolf Smedvig on trumpet, Marc Brian Reese on trumpet, Michelle Perry on French horn, Mark Hetzler on trombone and Kenneth Amis on tuba. The five musicians, all of whom have held leading positions with major American orchestras, perform over 100 concerts a year in cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington, London, Zurich and Tokyo.

With best-selling recordings on the Telarc label, they have introduced an even larger audience worldwide to the excitement of brass music that ranges from Bach and Handel to jazz and Broadway. They are equally at home in the majestically antiphonal works that Gabrieli composed for St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice and the exuberantly show stopping tunes that Richard Rodgers and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote for Broadway.

Empire Brass is the first brass ensemble to win the prestigious Naumberg Chamber Music Award. The group has served as Faculty Quintet-in-Residence at Boston University for 13 years, led the Empire Brass Seminar at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute for over 20 years, and in 1991 began an appointment as visiting consultants in brass at London's Royal Academy of Music. The ensemble also leads an annual series of college clinics co-sponsored by the Selmer Company, maker of the Empire Brass' instruments.

On network television, the Empire Brass has been featured on CBS "Good Morning America," NBC "Today Show" and "Sunday Today," and PBS "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood." The group is a regular guest on commercial and public radio networks nationwide, performing on programs such as "St. Paul Sunday Morning, Traditions" and NPR's "Performance Today."

Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for senior citizens and $9 for youth. UWSP students with ID may buy advance tickets for $4.50 or be admitted for free the day of the show if seats remain. Tickets may be purchased at the University Box Office, located in the University Center, Room 103, between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets also may be ordered by calling (715) 346-4100 or (800) 838-3378. Visa, Mastercard and Discover are accepted.