Dr. Alexander Freund, Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Georgia State University, is no stranger to high-profile performances as both a soloist and part of various ensembles. Most recently, he traveled to Spain with his professional brass quintet, M5 Mexican Brass. The ensemble helped kick off the 2023 FESTMUS international festival and performed the world premiere of “La Topa,” a concerto for brass quintet and Symphonic Wind Orchestra. The piece was written for M5 by the Mexican composer, Juan Vazquez and was commissioned by Freund.
“I’m very happy that the collaboration with all involved artists and institutions is culminating in the world premiere of Juan Vazquez’s unique composition. “La Topa” combines contemporary music-writing with the rhythms and harmonic structures of traditional Mexican Son and Huapango, and intertwines the colors of a very high-quality wind orchestra with M5’s authentic sound,” states Freund.
Internationally recognized, M5 Mexican Brass blends great virtuosic chamber music in all styles from Baroque to Broadway, effortless humor, and a winning rapport with the audience. With their natural sense of showmanship, inimitable Latin American charm, and their very own sound, their performances are fun, surprising and unexpected.