Mnozil Brass has established itself as one of the world’s premier brass ensembles. With over 130 performances a year, the group has sold out houses from the farthest reaches of the European continent to Israel, China, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United States, and has captivated audiences with their blend of immense virtuosity and theatrical wit. No wonder their videos have garnered millions of YouTube views and their fans have travelled countless miles to hear them play.
The group’s recent returns to North America were hailed as “seriously funny” and “whimsically brazen.” Their shows include Yes! Yes! Yes!, which blends original compositions with classical favorites, jazz standards, and popular hits; Cirque, where the musicians combat the monkey business of daily life with music and humor, and transform the stage into a musical flea circus; Gold, showcasing their greatest hits; and their latest Jubliee, which celebrates their 30 years together with new works and Mnozil Brass favorites. As always, the repertoire is presented with the group’s iconic humour and wit in scenes so clever that they would be worthy of Monty Python.
Mnozil Brass take their name from the “Gasthaus Mnozil,” a restaurant across the street from the Vienna Conservatory, where, in 1992, seven young brass musicians met and began playing at a monthly open-mic. Since then, the group has embraced repertoire for all ages and stages of life: from folk to classical to jazz to pop; all executed with the same fearlessness, immense technical skill, and typical Viennese “schmäh” (almost impossible to find an English translation, but best rendered as a kind of sarcastic charm!).
In their time away from touring, Mnozil Brass has recorded 8 albums and 6 DVDs. They’ve collaborated on three operetta and opera productions, and composed and recorded the music for the 2006 film “Freundschaft.” The group has been nominated for the Amadeus Austrian Music Award and won the prestigious Salzburger Stier Cabaret Prize in 2006.
