OU Brass Band claims third place at national competition

The Oakland University Brass Band recently claimed third place at the North American Brass Band Association Championships in Cincinnati.

Competing in the First Section, the band was the only collegiate group in a field of eight ensembles from the across the United States. The other bands boasted many professional musicians with a wealth of experience on the national and international stage.

Dr. Kenneth Kroesche is intimately familiar with the talent involved in this competition. In addition to conducting the OU Brass Band, he is the solo euphonium player with the Five Lakes Silver Band, which was named champion at this year’s event. He sees this achievement as a testament to the skill and promise of OU’s musicians.

“People may ask me why I would let a band of college students compete against seasoned professional musicians like myself,” said Dr. Kroesche. “My response would be ‘because they can.”

Find the Oakland University Brass Band on Facebook, or visit the website to learn more about OU bands.

Oakland University is a vibrant academic community with nearly 20,000 students and more than 265 academic programs. To learn more about programs, events, and achievements at OU, visit the news site at oakland.edu/newsatou and follow the news team on Twitter at @OaklandU_News.