Manotick Brass!
A passionate group of brass musicians based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, playing some 60 concerts annually to audiences throughout eastern Ontario.
The Manotick Brass Ensemble was formed in 2003 by Kazimier Samujlo and Martin Luce. The ensemble provides local brass musicians an opportunity to use their musical talents to enrich the cultural life of their community. Manotick Brass performs as a regular brass quintet with the extra players allowing flexibility to meet specific program needs. The ensemble practices every Tuesday evening at Knox Presbyterian Church in Manotick ON. Below you can meet our musicians…
Kazimier Samujlo – First Trumpet
Kazimier Samujlo has been playing trumpet since the age of 11 years. He commenced his music studies at the Poznan Lyceum of Music in Poland and subsequently graduated in 1974 with a BMus in trumpet performance from the University of Ottawa.
Following his graduation from Queens University Teachers College Kazimier entered the teaching profession in Ontario. For the next 30 years he was active as a music teacher and performer throughout Eastern Ontario. During this period he was appointed conductor of the Nepean Community Choir, the Polish Padereweski Choir and the Petawawa Legion Community Band. For 18 years Kazimier was the leader of the International Set Dance Band. He was also an active performer on trumpet with the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the Ottawa Valley Festival Orchestra, the Pembroke Swing Band. Kazimier has performed extensively as a trumpet soloist including concerts in Poland, Russia, Germany, Italy and Cuba.
Kazimier is a founding member and first trumpet player with the Manotick Brass Ensemble. He is the Eb soprano cornet soloist with the Maple Leaf Brass Band. He is also an accomplished accordion player and a professional piano tuner.
Martin Luce – Trombone
Martin was a late comer to the trombone, taking up the instrument in his 40s. Since retirement he has made music his passion. Martin formed the Manotick Brass Ensemble in 2003 and acts as the ensemble’s manager. He spends many hours tracking down interesting arrangements and creating ideas to enhance the ensemble’s concerts. Martin is a regular player at Knox Presbyterian Church in Manotick both as a member of the worship praise team and as a soloist.
Martin plays an Elkhart Conn 88H.
Stewart Winter – French Horn
Stewart joined the Manotick Brass in 2004. He has been playing French horn since elementary school and has played with a number of community bands and orchestras since then. Stewart serves as the band’s webmaster and is responsible for creating websites such as the wishlist tracking site mygiftideas.ca. In addition to French Horn, Stewart also plays e-flat tenor horn and is learning to play trombone with the Russell Community Concert Band. At home, Stewart has a musical household including his singing weimaraner.
Harold Floysvik – tuba
Hal (Harold) Floysvik first started playing tuba in grade 10 at Toronto’s Central Technical School under the tutelage of Charles (Bud) Hill, Ted Robbins, George Arnold, and other inspiting teachers. A military band junkie from about age 17, he played in Toronto bands Army Service Corps and 411 Squadron Air Transport Command. His love affair with Brass Bands started when he joined the Metropolitan Silver Band (“The Met”) while still in school. Moving to Ottawa in 1977, Hal joined the Governor General’s Food Guards in 1978. Retired from the GGFG in 1999, Hal continues to perform with them occasionally as an associate member. Hal’s current musical affiliations are with the Maple Leaf Brass Band, the Centralaires Concert Band, and Manotick Brass ensemble.
Christine Hansen – French horn
Christine retired after 33 years as an Intermediate and primarily a High School music teacher. As Head of Department at Canterbury High School in Ottawa, Christine helped initiate and administer the specialty music portion of the successful Eastern Ontario Programme of the Arts at Canterbury. After her retirement from secondary school teaching, Christine taught Intermediate and Senior Music as a Part Time Professor in the University of Ottawa Education faculty. She continues to do workshops and clinics with Concert Bands.
Christine, an Ottawa native, obtained Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and her Master of Music Education at State University, Potsdam, New York. She is an affiliate member of C.M.E.A., O.M.E.A., C.B.D.A., O.B.A. and Phi Beta Mu.
Currently, Christine performs on French horn with the National Capital Concert Band and the Manotick Brass Ensemble in Ottawa.
Peter Crouch – trumpet
Peter is originally from Fenelon Falls, Ontario, where he began taking trumpet lessons with Jim White. By the time he completed high school, Peter had been involved in the Kawartha Youth Orchestra and completed his RCM grade 10 trumpet.
In 2005, he attended Wilfrid Laurier University where he studied trumpet with Guy Few. It was here that Peter also developed an interest in composition through courses and lessons with Linda Catlin Smith and Peter Hatch. In 2009, he graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Music Performance degree with distinction.
Peter has just completed his MMus in Trumpet Performance where he studied with Eric Rupp at the University of Ottawa. He is currently playing in various ensembles around Ottawa while teaching and performing solo concerts on a regular basis.
Tony Crewe – trombone/tuba
Tony joined the Manotick Brass in 2008. He started his musical career on trumpet in elementary school, but quickly switched to trombone and has played with a number of military bands, community bands, jazz ensembles and orchestras since then. In addition to trombone, Tony also plays tuba.
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Chris Sandes – trumpet
Chris Sandes completed an honors bachelor’s degree in music education and an associate diploma in trumpet performance from the University of Western Ontario. He spent twenty-five years teaching wind, string and percussion instruments to high school students in Toronto, Brighton and Ottawa. His special interest is music therapy and how to use music to change the lives of special education students. Presently, he is retired and teaches seniors and young adults through his music school The Sandes School of Music. Besides performing with the Manotick Brass, he performs in various bands, orchestras and small ensembles.