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About Us
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!
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!