Brass Rings Biographical Information

Ross Turner is Principal Trumpet of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra with whom he has appeared as soloist several times. After graduating from the University of Victoria he furthered his development through Visiting Graduate orchestral studies at the Utrechts Conservatorium in the Netherlands. Ross’ symphony orchestra work has been complemented by vast pit orchestra experience. Presently on a 9-month engagement with the North American tour of the Broadway musical Chicago, he performed as first trumpet on the North American tour of The King And I in 1998. Ross has also performed in Starlight Express in the UK and Cats, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera and Oliver! in Toronto.

Paul Otway, trumpet, is also a fine composer and arranger. He received a Master of Music degree from the University of Western Ontario and now is a busy performer throughout Southern Ontario. He is a member of the Oshawa-Durham Symphony Orchestra with whom he has performed as soloist and has been Principal Trumpet of the Royal Conservatory of Music Orchestra, the Sudbury Symphony and the Scarborough Philharmonic. He has also performed with the Windsor Symphony, the Niagara Symphony and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. In late February Paul joined Ross on the North American tour of the Broadway musical Chicago but he looks forward to returning home in mid-July.

Deborah Stroh Pattison, horn, graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a performance degree in horn and violin and then pursued advanced horn studies. She played in Toronto’s Phantom of the Opera orchestra for its entire ten-year run and is now a member of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. Deborah is also a member of Toronto’s Esprit Orchestra which specializes in New Music and has performed with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Orchestra London, the Montreal Symphony, the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, the Stratford Festival Orchestra and others. Additional free-lance work has been as Principal Horn of Rob McConnell’s world famous Boss Brass. A highlight of her recording work is a Grammy Award-winning release by the Canadian Opera Company. Deborah can also be heard on several television and film soundtracks.

Thomas Henderson, trombone, received his first post-secondary education in Physics and by the time he graduated from the University of Waterloo he had enjoyed the odd experience of simultaneously teaching - and being enrolled in - a computer interface course which he had designed (he got an A). Even while continuing his scientific studies, Thomas had returned to musical studies and the course he set for himself upon graduation led him to schools in Vancouver, Banff and Toronto and to master teachers from all over the world. As an orchestral musician he has performed with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Hamilton Philharmonic and the Thunder Bay Symphony. Aside from developing projects for and managing Brass Rings, Thomas frequently performs his popular children’s show Thomas And His Trombone.

Brent Adams, tuba, is a member of the Niagara Symphony and is Artist in Residence at Brock University. He maintains exacting musical standards in a career that balances both performing and teaching. Brent has performed with Orchestra London, the New Hamilton Orchestra, Opera Ontario, the Hannaford Street Silver Band and the Windsor Symphony and can be heard on recordings for Analekta Records and Furiant Records. Brent’s commitment to education keeps him active year-round as a private teacher and as a band conductor at several summer music camps.