BRASS FACULTY
Mark Barton, Brass Area Coordinator

James Austin, trumpet
Former principal, Houston Symphony for 17 years; former principal, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Houston Chamber Orchestra; solo cornet under Frederick Fennel, Eastman Wind Ensemble; numerous recordings, Mercury Records; member Moores Brass Quintet; graduate, Eastman School of Music.

Mark Barton, tuba
Current tubist with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, the Moores Brass Quintet, and teacher of Applied Tuba and Chamber Music at the Moores School of Music. He is an active teacher and freelance artist, having performed with the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and the Waco Symphony. Mr. Barton received degrees in music education and applied music from Baylor University in 1981 and then taught for several years in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.

George Chase, trumpet (email)
Master of Music, Rice University; Bachelor of Music, The Curtis Institute of Music. Frequent performances with Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Ameridan Radio Chamber Orchestra, Houston Ballet, and Theater Under the Stars.

Brian Kauk, trombone
Currently principal trombone with the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and the Houston Ballet Orchestra. Mr. Kauk joined the faculty as Trombone affiliate artist and became a member of the Moores Brass Quintet in 1995. He has performed extensively with the Houston Symphony Orchestra including 2 international tours and recordings. Mr Kauk has performed in the Grand Teton Music Festival and teaches at the Texas Music Festival during the summer.

Roger Kaza, French horn
Associate Principal Horn of the Houston Symphony.  He previously played with the Saint Louis Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, the Boston Symphony, and the Boston Pops, where he was solo horn under John Williams.  He currently serves on the faculty of the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston and has appeared as guest artist and lecturer for the International Horn Society.  

Noe Marmolejo, trumpet; Director, Jazz Ensembles
Active jazz and classical trumpet performer; active adjudicator and clinician in Houston area; former conductor, Houston Youth Symphony and Ballet Orchestra; director, Jazz Institute of the Texas Music Festival, as well as festival brass ensemble coach.

Philip Stanton, French horn
Bachelor of Music degree, Michigan State University; Master of Music degree, Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C. After stints as principal horn with the Grand Rapids Symphony and as a member of the United States Navy Band, he began his current position with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 1974. Phil has taught on the faculty at Michigan State University and Sam Houston State University.

Jim Vassallo, trumpet
Currently principal trumpet with the Houston Ballet Orchestra and the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. A teacher and frequent performer with the Texas Music Festival each summer, he has also performed with the Grand Tetons Festival Orchestra, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, and the AIM Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria.

Michael Warny, trombone and euphonium (email)
International tours with Texas Opera Theatre, Paragon Brass Ensemble and Chicago Chamber Brass, as well as the Houston Symphony and Houston Ballet; active freelance performer and current member of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Theatre Under the Stars; studied with Empire Brass Quintet at Tanglewood and Summit Brass, with which he also performed at Keystone Institute.