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Massanutten Brass Band
Virginia
About
The Massanutten Brass Band, from Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, was formed in September of 2001 and has developed a loyal and enthusiastic following of brass band enthusiasts. Now celebrating their 24th season, the ensemble is comprised of outstanding musicians from Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, and the Shenandoah Valley. The band’s personnel include school band directors, music professors, university music students, and serious amateur musicians. The ensemble performs throughout the central Shenandoah Valley region and has performed as the featured ensemble at the Virginia Music Educators Conference. The Massanutten Brass Band has been awarded third prize in the 1st Section (2009, 2010), second prize in the 2nd section (2023), and first prize in the 2nd Section (2007, 2024, 2025) at the NABBA Championships.
Musical Director
Prof. Kevin Stees
Kevin Stees, now in his 41st year as Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at James Madison University, leads an active career as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor and music educator. He has studied with tuba artists Daniel Perantoni (Indiana University), Charles Daellenbach (Canadian Brass) and Jack Tilbury (U.S. Army Brass Quintet, ret.) and holds music degrees from University of Illinois and Arizona State University. He has been a finalist in several solo competitions and was a prize winner in the Second International Brass Congress Tuba Solo Competition. Stees has presented solo and chamber music performances at numerous universities, conferences, music festivals and workshops, including the U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference, Southeast Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conference, International Tuba-Euphonium Conference and the Keystone Brass Institute. He has performed with a number of orchestras including the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Canadian Chamber Orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic, and was a member of the Southwest Brass Quintet and the Skyline Brass. Stees currently performs with the Madison Brass (quintet-in-residence at James Madison University) and the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Orchestra. In addition to performances on tuba, he is very active as the conductor of the internationally recognized James Madison University Brass Band, having led the ensemble in performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and the Brucknerhaus Concert Hall in Linz, Austria, as well as music venues throughout England, Wales and Austria. Stees is also the conductor of the Massanutten Brass Band. Additionally, he is on the Board of Directors of the North American Brass Band Association and is a member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association.
Choice Program
The Saga of Haakon the Good
Philip Sparke
Program Notes
The Saga of Hoakon the Good was commissioned by Frei Hornmusikk, from Norway, to celebrate the joining of the two neighbouring Kommuner of Frei and Kristiansund, which took place on January 1st, 2008. The band used it as their test piece in the Norwegian National Brass Band Championships the following February. The piece traces key events in the life of Haakon the Good (c. 920-961), later to become King Haakon 1 - THE FUTURE KING - who had been fostered by King Athelstan of England as part of a peace agreement made by his father. The English king brought him up in the Christian religion, and, on the news of his father's death, provided him with ships and men for an expedition against his half-brother Eirik Bloodaxe, who had been proclaimed king of Norway. On his arrival he travelled north - THE JOURNEY TO TRONDHEIM - where he began to gain the support of the landowners by promising to give up the rights of taxation his father had previously claimed. Eirik's sons allied themselves with the Danes, but were invariably defeated by Haakon, who was successful in everything he undertook except in his attempt to introduce Christianity to the country - THE MISSIONARY KING - which aroused an opposition he did not feel strong enough to face. One of his most famous victories was THE BATTLE OF RASTARKALV (near to Frei) in 955. By placing ten standards far apart along a low ridge (to give the impression his army was bigger than it actually was) he managed to fool Eirik's sons that they were outnumbered. The Danes fled and were slaughtered by Haakon's army. These ten standards are represented by ten loud chords towards the end of the work.
NABBA Results History (10)
| Section | Best Finish | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Second | 1st | 2 |
| Challenge | 1st | 1 |
| First | 2nd | — |
| Honors | 3rd | — |
| Event | Section | Place | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championships 2026 | Second | 7th | 92.150 | |
| NABBA Championships 2025 | Second | 1st | 91.950 | |
| NABBA Championships 2024 | Second | 1st | 94.117 | |
| NABBA Championships 2023 | Second | 2nd | 90.700 | |
| NABBA Championships 2015 | Second | 4th | 274.200 | |
| NABBA Championships 2012 | First | 2nd | 282.400 | |
| NABBA Championships 2010 | First | 3rd | 188.000 | |
| NABBA Championships 2009 | Honors | 3rd | 271.400 | |
| NABBA Championships 2007 | Challenge | 1st | 281.200 | |
| NABBA Championships 2006 | Challenge | 3rd | 250.400 |