About Clarion Brass

Clarion Brass has been a major contributor to the St. Louis music scene since 1994, offering a wide variety of programming choices at unique venues. Manager Mary Weber heads the group and has been the driving force behind this great group of professional musicians.

Clarion Brass has been the featured Guest Artist with such local icons as the Alton Symphony, the Compton Heights Concert Band and the Crescendo Concert Series, and has played many Christ Church Cathedral Concert series. In addition, the group has played at the SIUE Summer Series three years in a row (2006-08) as well as the St. Charles Community College’s Concert Series.

The musicians who make up Clarion Brass are: Mary Weber and Jason Harris on Trumpets, Steve Hanrahan on French Horn, George Manning on Tenor Trombone, Wayne Coniglio on Bass Trombone/Bass, and Alan Shilling on percussion.

The group was featured at the Opening Festivities of “Taste for the Arts” in Hermann, MO, in 2007. Clarion Brass has played The Sheldon Concert Hall to sold out concerts for their Coffee Concert Series Christmas Program (2010 & 2011). They have been invited back this year to do a “Veterans Day Salute” in November 2011. In addition to the brass instruments of the quintet, Clarion Brass uses percussion whenever possible, adding a full drum kit to pots and pans whatever works!

Aside from performing great arrangements of the Big Band era, Marches, Light Classics and fun music for children’s demonstrations, the group also plays Baroque and Renaissance music with flair. Clarion Brass plays Weddings, Receptions, Holiday Concerts, Corporate Parties, Outdoor Events, Special Events, Graduations, Children’s Programs and Picnics ... just about any type of program you can think of!

THE MUSICIANS

Mary Weber, Trumpet / Flugel / Piccolo Trumpet

Mary works in numerous ensembles throughout the St. Louis Metro area, including the St. Louis Symphony were she has been a Sub / Replacement / Extra since 1986, Principal Replacement / 2nd Illinois Symphony 1993 – 2006, Principal and frequent soloist with the Compton Heights Concert Band, Opera Theater St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera, Bob Coleman Orchestra and formerly with the St. Louis Brass Band where she was a featured soloist on Eb Soprano and Bb Cornet on numerous occasions.

Mary was Principal Trumpet in the New Orleans Symphony for two years. Her virtuosity and enthusiasm for music has provided her with far-ranging performances with such notables as Mannheim Steamroller, Luciano Pavarotti, Mel Torme, Ann Hampton-Callaway, The Temptations and Pope John Paul II ! She has toured throughout the United States and Europe including Carnegie Hall with the St. Louis Symphony. She attended the Tanglewood Institute as a Fellowship of Leonard Bernstein, the Spoleto Festival (U.S. and Spoleto, Italy), Classical Music Festival (Eisenstadt, Austria).

She is actively engaged in recordings, competitions, recitals and lectures, and is the manager of the Clarion Brass. She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance from university of Miami (FL), a Bachelor of Sports Psychology from University of Miami, a Master of Music Performance from Syracuse University. She was Adjunct Professor at St. Louis University teaching Music Appreciation, Development of the Orchestra, Bio-Musicology, Symphonic Literature and Music Theory from 1998 – 2007. Mary also taught Trumpet at SIUE during the Spring 2006 for Dr. John Korak when he took Sabbatical. She has also been the Conductor of several ensembles including the Oasis New Horizon’s Band when it began in St. Louis in 1999.

At present, Mary has been a Bugler doing Military Honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery since 2006. Most recently, Mary produced her first Holiday CD with the members of Clarion Brass titled “Sleigh Ride - Over The Top!” She is thrilled to be an Artist on the “Eye-full-tower” Record Label. She loves teaching private trumpet lessons with students ranging in age from 10 — 77!

Jason Harris, Trumpet / Flugel / Piccolo Trumpet / Keyboards / Arranger

Jason Harris earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University — St. Louis and a Master of the Arts in Music from Webster University. Mr. Harris is an active musician in the St. Louis area with 20 years of professional experience. Jason has performed trumpet with Opera Theatre St. Louis, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, Gateway Brass Quintet, Winter Opera, Washington University Symphony, Gateway Festival Orchestra, Compton Heights Concert Band, New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, and the American Kantorei Orchestra to name a few. Currently, Jason is a member of the Union Avenue Opera Orchestra (12 years), the Clarion Brass Quintet (10 years), and the Webster Symphony Orchestra (5 years). He also performs regularly with some of the top “party” bands in the Midwest, including Downtime, Push the Limit, the Bob Kuban Brass, and Spectrum. Over the last decade, he sounded “Taps” at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery for over 10,000 funerals. For many years Mr. Harris was the featured flugel horn soloist with the St. Louis Brass Band. Mr. Harris is currently in his fifth year as instrumental music director for Maplewood Richmond Heights School District and previously taught at McKinley Middle School for St. Louis Public Schools. Many of his former students have gone on to win auditions and participate in the Missouri All-State Concert Band, Orchestra, & Jazz Band, as well as the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, Community Music School Youth Orchestra, and the Jazz-U All Stars at Jazz at the Bistro.

Steve Hanrahan, French Horn

Stephen Hanrahan currently is an active free-lance hornist in the St. Louis metropolitan area. He serves as Principal Horn of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra / Illinois Chamber Orchestra, as well as extra / substitute horn with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, having accompanied the SLSO on two tours of Carnegie Hall. He is also Second Horn with the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis (MUNY) and Hornist with the Fox Theater Orchestra, having performed in numerous musicals including Wicked, West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, The Sound of Music, and Titanic. Other orchestral experience includes four seasons as Principal Horn of the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, extra/substitute with the Alabama, Memphis, Charleston, Hilton Head, and Augusta (GA) Symphony Orchestras, and the Missouri Symphony Society. With these organizations, and as an active free-lance musician, Mr. Hanrahan has performed with such artists as Itzak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Andre Watts, Rod Stewart, Chet Atkins, Ray Charles, Crystal Gayle, Doc Severinsen, Dennis DeYoung, Bernadette Peters, and Frank Sinatra, Jr.

Mr. Hanrahan is a former Adjunct Professor of Horn at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and currently teaches privately throughout the St. Louis metro area. In addition to private instruction, he holds sectionals and masterclasses with many area schools. He received both his masters and bachelors degrees in Music from the University of Missouri, where his instructors included D. Bruce Heim and Laurence M. Lowe. He also attended Northwestern University where he studied with Dale Clevenger, Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has received additional instruction from Roland Pandolfi, James Wehrman, and Tod Bowermaster of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Wayne Coniglio, Bass Trombone / Tuba / Upright Bass / Arranger / Recording Engineer

Wayne currently works as a freelance trombonist in the St. Louis area and can be seen in the pit at The Fabulous Fox and the MUNY. His record label Eye-full Tower Records recently released The Clarion Brass' Holiday Album “Sleigh Ride - Over The Top!”

Wayne is a product of the strong grade school music program at Longview School in Phoenix which stressed learning multiple instruments, singing and performance. After attending William Pattersen University, Wayne was invited by Ray Charles to join his touring orchestra as bass trombonist and featured soloist. Ray inspired Wayne to write and compelled him to pen a number of arrangements for his orchestra. After working with Ray, Wayne spent ten years in New York enjoying much success performing with such notables as The Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Chico O’Farrill, The Mingus Big Band and Broadway. Wayne is fulfilling his dream and the dreams of other artists by acting as producer / engineer / writer / performer. Wayne is a YAMAHA artist / clinician.

George Manning, Tenor Trombone

George Manning is a freelance trombonist, composer, and arranger who has lived in the St. Louis area since 2002. He is currently a member of the Clarion Brass and Swing Set, which has won numerous Riverfront Times “Best of St. Louis” awards. George performs regularly with Union Avenue Opera, and has appeared locally with the Sessions Big Band, the Gateway Brass Quintet, the Bach Society, and Marilyn Horne accompanied by musicians of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. George has been principal trombonist of the Saint Louis Brass Band and Orchestra Atlanta, and bass trombonist of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. He holds a Master of Music in brass performance from Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Music in composition from Illinois Wesleyan University

Alan Schilling, Percussionist

Alan Schilling has performed as a percussionist in orchestras for:

Leslie Uggims, Bob Hope, Vic Dammone, Carol Lawrence, Roger Williams, The Temptations, Peggy Lee, Diahann Carroll, Dave Brubeck, Shirley Maclaine, Lena Horne, Ben Vereen, Danny Thomas, Lola Falana, Crystal Gayle, Perry Como, Della Reese, Tony Orlando, Jim Nabors, Dom Delouise, Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn Macoo, Andy Williams, Phyllis Diller, The 5th Dimension, Liberace, Luciano Pavarotti and as a percussionist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Muny Opera of St. Louis, and the Fox Theater Orchestra.

Alan is currently the Music Director for the Department of Dance at Webster University in St. Louis.

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