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Brad Curran

Originally from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Brad Curran is a B.M.E. graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. He began playing trumpet in the fourth grade and was playing gigs and arranging by age twelve. Since that time, he has had the good fortune to perform in a variety of musical settings ranging from classical to jazz to pop/rock including appearances with jazz stars Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Med Flory and Supersax, Conte Candoli, Bill Watrous and Buddy DeFranco among others. Other diverse credits include the San Diego Concert Jazz Band, the Temptations, the Miss Wisconsin Pagaent Orchestra, musical director and trumpet soloist with the Jan Garber Orchestra, various symphony orchestras, wind ensembles, brass ensembles and numerous recording sessions. Curran was the musical arranger for the Miss Wisconsin Pageant (prior to the age of pre-recorded music,) as well as writing for school bands, jazz bands, dance bands, solo trumpet and commercial music. He has taught trumpet students at all levels, has been associated with both the Fond du Lac Jazz Festival and the Fox Jazz Festival in performance and board member roles, and is the president of the Jazz Corner Society.

Curran has studied with Jan Jacobi, Paul Smoker, Allen Butcher, Robert Levy, John Harmon, Bobby Shew, and Clark Terry among others .

Brad is in his 23rd year of teaching instrumental music at Seton Catholic Middle School in Menasha, plays principal trumpet with the Oshkosh Brass Quintet, is a featured jazz soloist with the 18 piece Appleton-based Big Band Reunion and the 16 piece Lighthouse Big Band in Fond du Lac, leads the Jazz Quartet DIG , the Mid-West Coast Jazz Octet, the "Birth of the Cool"Revisited, and leads one of the Green Bay Packers "Tailgaters" bands. His newest venture is Marshall Vente's Mohawk Avenue Jazz Band, comprised of 8 musicians ranging from the Chicago, Milwaukee and (!) Fox Valley area. In addition to free-lance performance, arranging and recording work with a number of midwest bands, he also maintains a busy private teaching studio consisting of anywhere from 12 to 20 students. A huge advocate of jazz education, Brad is a past president of the Wisconsin unit of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE), a founding member of the new Wisconsin Association for Jazz Education (WI-AJE,) and a charter member of the new Jazz Education Network (JEN).

Available for clinics/workshops, concerts, and as a wedding soloist, Brad Curran also has a limited number of openings for serious trumpet students interested in private study at his studios.

Tags

Primary Instrument

Flugelhorn

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Photos

Music

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