Ensemble Contest

Percussion and brass ensembles can sign up to perform in the NABBA Ensemble Contest, including 10-piece mini bands. Performances take place Friday morning of the contest weekend. Ensemble entry is available January 22 through February 15. We hope you will take part in this year's contest!

Trombonist | Educator — A winner of the S&R Foundation Washington Award and Astral Artists National Auditions, trombonist Brittany Lasch brings authenticity and unshakeable commitment to all aspects of her music-making. Increasingly in demand as a soloist with orchestras and brass bands alike, Brittany balances an intensive performance career with her role as a sought-after educator and Assistant Professor of Trombone at the renowned Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. As a serial collaborator and commissioner of composers, Brittany is a musical explorer creating new repertoire for her instrument from some of today's most compelling voices, and a true ambassador in expanding recognition for the trombone as a powerful solo voice for today.

Brittany has appeared as a soloist with ensembles ranging from the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" and Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, to concerto performances with the Queens Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, Bucks County Symphony, Bowling Green Philharmonia, Manhattan School of Music Philharmonia, and others across the country. With playing described as "masterful" (Syracuse Post-Standard), American Record Guide recently hailed Brittany as an "excellent soloist" across a diverse range of repertoire.

An American Prize-winning trombonist, Brittany has been a featured guest artist at numerous festivals, including the International Trombone Festival, the International Women's Brass Conference, and the American Trombone Workshop. She was a winner of the National Collegiate Solo Competition hosted by the U.S. Army Band, the Eisenberg-Fried Brass Concerto Competition at the Manhattan School of Music, and the Zulalian Foundation Award in Boston. Her trombone quartet Boston Based won the 2017 International Trombone Association Quartet Competition. In 2018, Brittany was awarded 2nd place in The American Prize Solo Instrumentalist competition. A prizewinner in numerous other competitions, she received the coveted John Clark Award upon graduation from the Manhattan School of Music for outstanding accomplishment in brass performance.

For six seasons, Brittany was the Principal Trombone of the Detroit Opera Orchestra at the Detroit Opera House. She has performed with orchestras nationwide, including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Nashville Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony, Albany Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, and the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. She participated in the Verbier Festival Orchestra for two summers, and has also appeared at the Spoleto USA Festival, the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, the Castleton Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival. An active presence in the global trombone community, Brittany's performances include Argentina's Trombonanza, Portugal's Gravíssimo Festival, and appearances in Japan and Korea.

As an advocate for new music, Brittany has commissioned and performed several new pieces for the trombone, including acclaimed composer Reena Esmail's major Sonata for Trombone and Piano, which she commissioned for her Astral Artists recital in Philadelphia. Brittany gave the premiere of the orchestrated version of Martin Kennedy's Theme and Variations for Trombone and Orchestra with the BGSU Philharmonia under the direction of Dr. Emily Brown, and recorded the work on the Albany Records label. Other recent projects include collaborations with composers Inez McComas, Adam Har-zvi, and David Miller. Her debut solo album, Dark Horse (2024), features works by Samuel Adler, Tony Plog, Reena Esmail, Shawn Davern, and the album's pianist, Thomas Weaver — recently awarded a Silver Medal from Global Music Awards.

A native of Park Ridge, Illinois, Brittany earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, where she received the Brass Department Award, and holds a Master of Music degree from Yale School of Music. With a deep commitment to education, she has previously served as faculty at the College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and has been a featured teacher and performer at summer festivals including the Sewanee Music Festival and the DC Trombone Workshop. Recent residencies include the University of Central Arkansas, James Madison University (Tromblow'in), University of Iowa, Oklahoma State University, Stetson University, the University of Florida, and as guest artist at the 2023 Frühling Posaunen hosted at Ithaca College.

Brittany Lasch is an Edwards Trombone Performing Artist. She also proudly uses and endorses ChopSaver Lip Care. Outside of music, Brittany has recently completed her eleventh full marathon and loves spending time with her cats Clove and Poppy.