Seraph Brass

In its 11th season, Seraph Brass was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden with a mission to showcase the excellence of women brass players and highlight musicians from marginalized groups, both in personnel and in programming. Winners of the American Prize in Chamber Music, the group has been praised for its “beautiful sounds" (American Record Guide), "fine playing” (Gramophone), and “staggeringly high caliber of performance” (Textura). In addition to performances and residencies, Seraph performs as a 10-piece ensemble, as soloists with symphony orchestras and wind bands, and in collaboration with other chamber artists.

The 2024-2025 season highlights include a residency at the Festival International De Vientos that includes a performance of Anthony DiLorenzo’s Chimera with the Cusco Symphony Orchestra in Peru, a performance at the 78th Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and performances at the Jeju Festival in South Korea, Guanajuato’s Pro Musica Classica Series in Mexico, Foo Foo Festival in Pensacola (FL), Pro Music Joplin (MO), Trinity Concert Series in Watertown (NY), and Celebrity Concert Series in Huntsville (AL). Seraph’s residency highlights of the season include Yale School of Music, University of Miami, University of Memphis, University of Missouri, Mary Baldwin University, and the Pear Arts Residency in Fort Wayne. Seraph will be releasing a new album in March of 2025 through Tower Grove Records, showcasing new works for brass quintet and featuring compositions by Jeff Scott, Reena Esmail, Kevin Day, and Kevin McKee.

Seraph Brass performs a diverse body of repertoire, ranging from original transcriptions to newly commissioned works and core classics. The group has commissioned pieces by Grammy award winner Jeff Scott, as well as Jennifer Jolley, Joseph Hallman, Catherine McMichael, Marcus Grant, and Rene Orth. The pieces by Orth and McMichael are featured on Seraph’s Silver Medal Global Music Award-winning debut album Asteria. The group regularly participates in commissioning consortiums, recently supporting works by Kevin Day, Mischa Zupko, Sara Jacovino, and Lillian Yee. Seraph recently commissioned and premiered Jennifer Jolley’s Dust for brass quintet and wind ensemble, which was performed with various ensembles across the US. Other concerto performances have included Rick DeJonge’s Prelude and Fantasy, James Stephenson’s Dodecafecta, Suite from Mass by Leonard Bernstein and Anthony DiLorenzo’s Chimera.

Members of Seraph Brass are passionate about music education, and hold teaching positions at the University of North Texas, Shenandoah Conservatory, Texas State University, and Texas Lutheran University. In each of their tours, the group works to provide educational outreach to local schools, and they also offer a variety of entrepreneurship and career development workshops, in addition to traditional brass pedagogy and technique classes.

The ensemble has toured around the world, including performances at the Tafalla Brass Week in Spain, Lieksa Brass Week in Finland, the Busan Maru International Music Festival in South Korea, University of Toronto in Canada, the Forum Cultural Guanajuato in Mexico, International Women’s Brass Conference, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, and a two-week tour across China. Recent touring highlights have included shows and residencies at Oberlin College, Brevard Music Center, Chautauqua Institution, Swarthmore College, the Lyric Chamber Music Society in NYC, Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Michigan, Chamber Music Raleigh, National Gallery of Art in D.C., Asheville Chamber Music Series, Virginia Arts Festival, Boise Chamber Music Series, University of North Carolina School for the Arts, Michigan State University, Sarasota’s Artist Series Concerts, Dame Myra Hess Concert Series in Chicago, and Del Valle Fine Arts Presents in California, as well as concerto appearances with the Florence Symphony, the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” Texas Tech University Wind Ensemble, University of North Texas Wind Orchestra, Shenandoah Conservatory Wind Ensemble, University of Nebraska-Omaha Wind Ensemble, and Swarthmore College Wind Ensemble. The group has also toured extensively as Allied Concert Services and Live On Stage artists, and was formerly in residency alongside the Dover Quartet at the Artosphere Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Members of Seraph Brass have performed with such esteemed ensembles as the London Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Artosphere Festival Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Phoenix Symphony, Marlboro Music Festival, Lucerne Music Festival in Switzerland, Britt Festival Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Chameleon Arts Ensemble, and the Daejeon Philharmonic. Many members of Seraph Brass performed with Adele on her North American tour.

Seraph Brass is a Yamaha Performing Group.

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
Holberg Suite, op. 40 I. Prelude
arr. Jeff Luke

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)
“Sempre Libera” from La Traviata
arr. Jeff Luke

W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, KV 331 III. Rondo “Alla Turca”
arr. Jeff Luke

Jeff Scott (b. 1967)
Showcase

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)
“Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor
arr. Rolf Smedvig

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
arr. Jeff Luke

- Intermission -

Reena Esmail (b. 1983)
Khirkiyaan (Windows): Three Transformations for Brass Quintet
III. Tuttarana

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
“Nessun Dorma” from Turandot
arr. Ivaylo Hritsov

George Gershwin (1898-1937)
Selections from Porgy & Bess
arr. Jack Gale

Hoagy Carmichael (1899-1981)
Stardust
arr. Lennie Niehaus

Georges Bizet (1838-1975)
Selections from Carmen

Catherine McMichael (b. 1954)
Asteria
II. Virgo

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
Selections from West Side Story
arr. Jack Gale

Classical trumpeter Mary Elizabeth Bowden is a highly in-demand soloist, praised for her “splendid, brilliant” playing (Gramophone Magazine) and her “pure, refined, and warm” tone (American Record Guide). A Gold Medal Global Music Award Winner, Opus Klassik Nominee, and Yamaha Performing Artist, Bowden works diligently to establish a new repertoire for the trumpet through creative, collaborative commissioning projects and award-winning albums.

Bowden’s 2023/2024 season brings an impressive lineup of solo performances, including four world premiere concertos. Highlights include her debut with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, where she performs a program including Clarice Assad’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra and Shostakovich’s Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet, and String Orchestra with pianist Henry Kramer. In another key debut, Bowden appears as a soloist with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, performing Reena Esmail’s Rosa de Sal and Assad’s Bohemian Queen. With the DuPage Symphony, she premieres a new arrangement of Gala Flagello’s Persist, newly arranged for two trumpets, and performs as soloist on Grace Williams’ Trumpet Concerto. She debuts with Oregon’s Rogue Valley Symphony in Henri Tomasi’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra before touring the Fung and Assad concertos to the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, and Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra.

Over the course of the season, Bowden holds residencies and masterclasses at Oberlin College, Swarthmore College, the University of Michigan, Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra, Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, Haverford College, Grand Valley State University and the Fine Arts Center of Greenville, SC. International engagements bring Bowden to the Isla Verde Bronces International Brass Festival in Argentina, Festival de Metales del Pacifico in Mexico, and Lieksa Brass Week in Finland. Bowden’s Chrysalis Chamber Players embark on a U.S. tour of trumpet and string quartet repertoire, presented by Live On Stage, and with Seraph Brass, Bowden is recording an album of new compositions for brass quintet for Tower Grove Records.

Bowden will also be recording this season with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra for a new solo album – her first with full orchestra – to be released on Cedille Records in summer 2024. Made up entirely of trumpet concerti by living composers, the album will include works by Clarice Assad, Tyson Davis and Vivian Fung – all commissioned by Bowden for this project – as well as previously composed concerti, performed in newly commissioned arrangements, by Reena Esmail, Sarah Kirkland Snider and James Stephenson.

Highlights of Bowden’s recent seasons include her debut with the Santa Fe Symphony, as well as prominent engagements with major international ensembles. During the 2022/2023 season, she performed as a soloist with the Busan Maru International Music Festival Orchestra in Korea and toured five cities in Argentina, performing Assad’s Bohemian Queen with the Shenandoah Conservatory Orchestra. She served as faculty at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in summer 2022. Prior to that, she performed in the Spanish premiere of James MacMillan’s Seraph with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. She made her Turkish debut with the Izmir State Symphonic Orchestra. Over recent seasons, Bowden has performed works including Vivian Fung’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (with the Philharmonia Northwest, Seattle), Anthony DiLorenzo’s Chimera: Concerto for Brass Quintet and Wind Ensemble (with the U.S. Army "Pershing's Own"), and Tyson Davis's Veiled Light (with the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, North Carolina).

Bowden has performed as a soloist across the U.S., appearing with ensembles including the Erie Philharmonic, Chautauqua Symphony, Waynesboro Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Peninsula Symphony (California), Chameleon Arts Ensemble (Boston), Springfield Symphony (in both Missouri and Ohio), Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, and San Juan Symphony, and at Montana’s Big Sky Festival. In 2019, she made her German debut in Eisenach at the Wartburg Castle, and her French debut at the Château de Courances, both through the World and European Brass Association. She made her Russian debut with a performance in Sochi with famed trumpeter Otto Sauter’s handpicked “10 of the Best” trumpet soloists from around the world. Other international solo engagements have brought her to China’s Hunan Symphony Orchestra, Croatian Army Wind Band at the Velika Gorica Brass Festival, Lieksa Brass Week in Finland and The Banff Center in Canada, as well as residencies in Courances, France, and both Guadalajara and Cancun, Mexico. Bowden has collaborated in chamber music programs at the Marlboro Music Festival, Lakes Area Music Festival, the Banff Centre, and the Sydney Opera House (under the baton of Håkan Hardenberger).

Bowden has released two acclaimed solo recordings on Summit Records: her debut album, Radiance (featuring new American works), and her second solo album, Rêverie, with the Kassia Ensemble. Rêverie was featured as one of the Top Albums of the Year for the Global Music Awards and on Textura Magazine’s Top Ten Classical Albums of the Year.

Bowden’s many creative projects include her work as a founding member and artistic leader of both Seraph Brass and the Chrysalis Chamber Players. Seraph Brass, an ensemble of America’s top female brass players that was awarded the 2019 American Prize in Chamber Music, has performed at the International Trumpet Guild Conference, Busan Maru Music Festival, the International Women’s Brass Conference, Brevard Music Center, Tafalla Brass Week in Spain, and Lieksa Brass Week. The group’s debut album, Asteria, released on Summit Records, won the Silver Medal Global Music Award. Members of the ensemble also performed on Adele’s 2016 North American tour. Further accolades include the Gold Medal Global Music Award, First Prize of the International Women’s Brass Conference Trumpet Competition, Second Prize of the 2019 American Prize in Instrumental Performance, and a nomination for the Opus Klassik awards in 2020.

An engaging orchestral musician, she is currently Principal Trumpet of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra and a member of the Iris Collective. She previously held a position with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and served as Principal Trumpet of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra, Lakes Area Music Festival Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand, Daejeon Philharmonic in Korea, Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland, and Seraphic Fire’s Firebird Chamber Orchestra.

Bowden earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with David Bilger, then principal trumpeter of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She earned her Master of Music degree in 2006 from the Yale School of Music, where she studied on a full scholarship with trumpeter Allan Dean. Bowden is currently Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Shenandoah Conservatory.

Morgen Low is a freelance trumpet performer and teacher based in south Florida. Just prior to joining Seraph Brass, she held an appointment as acting Co-Principal Trumpet of the Sarasota orchestra during the 2024-2025 season.

Outside of the touring season, Morgen has spent summers performing as Co-Principal Trumpet of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, acting Principal Trumpet of the Britt Festival Orchestra, and as a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center. She has made guest appearances with the Indianapolis Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, and the Louisville Orchestra among others. In 2022 she competed in and was named the first prize winner of the Next Generation Trumpet Competition.

Morgen holds a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory. Her primary professors during these studies were Roy Poper, Robert Sullivan, Channing Philbrick, David Bilger, Thomas Rolfs, and Michael Sachs. She is also an alumna of the New World Symphony orchestral fellowship program where she performed under the batons of artistic directors Michael Tilson Thomas and Stéphane Denève.

Layan Atieh is a Palestinian/Jordanian/American horn player currently residing in Chicago, Illinois. Layan is a member of Seraph Brass, a world renowned all-women brass quintet, as well the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. As an active freelancer, Layan has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She is passionate about chamber music and has performed at festivals around the world, including the Hidden Valley Festival of Winds, Domaine Forget, and the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, as well as orchestra festivals such as the Music Academy of the West. In 2022, Layan completed her undergraduate studies at the Peabody Institute under the tutelage of Robert Rearden, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. She earned her Master’s degree in 2024 at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Richard King and Nathaniel Silberschlag.

Layan is passionate about community engagement and the intersection of politics and music, and is always finding ways to use music as a vehicle for connection across differences. Her work in Seraph Brass allows her to promote and highlight the artistry of marginalized identities, to bring performances and music education to underserved communities around the United States and across the world, and to open dialogue about the role of artists in society. In 2025, Layan served as the inaugural Arts Administration Fellow at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, allowing her to connect with the Chicago community on and off the stage. During her fellowship, she helped organize and perform in youth and educational concerts, as well as collaborative concerts with community partners, such as the Chicago Refugee Coalition. She also conceptualized and produced her own program, titled ‘Thread and Chord: A Dialogue Between Fashion and Music’ - an interdisciplinary performance exploring the relationship between artistic expression and cultural identity. Layan is passionate about music education, and serves on faculty at the Brass Institutes of America, as well as a Teaching Artist at the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO). In both Cleveland and Chicago, Layan has taught in public schools, deepening her commitment to music education and outreach, and regularly teaches while on tour with Seraph Brass. In 2025, she was honored as a Guest Artist at the International Women’s Brass Conference, furthering her advocacy for representation and innovation in brass performance. Outside of music, Layan enjoys a variety of sports, including martial arts, rock climbing, and, most recently, pickleball.

Lauren Casey-Clyde is an active freelancer, educator, chamber musician and soloist residing in Austin, TX. She has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, Temple Symphony Orchestra, Central Texas Philharmonic, Waco Symphony Orchestra, Cambrian Symphony Orchestra and Round Top Festival Orchestra. She recently made her debut performance at SXSW performing with Density 512 as part of the Graham Reynolds Showcase, and has recorded and performed with New-Orleans style Boss Street Brass Band. She will make her Carnegie Hall debut in June of 2024, performing under the baton of Jerry Junkin with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble. Internationally, Lauren was named a finalist for the 2023 International Trombone Association Quartet Competition and the winner of the Emory Remington Trombone Choir Competition. She has performed under many esteemed conductors such as Andris Nelsons, Bernard Haitink, Robert Spano and JoAnn Falletta.

As a soloist, Lauren was selected as an artist to perform at the 2024 International Women's Brass Conference in Japan and was invited as a special guest to perform at the Texas State Capitol for the 2022 International Peace Concert. She was a finalist at the 2023 Big 12 Tenor Trombone Solo Competition, a finalist in the 2022 University of Texas Concerto Competition,and a prize winner in the Susan Slaughter Solo Competition at the 2019 International Women’s Brass Conference. In 2016, she was named the winner of the Northeast Tuba and Euphonium Conference Young Artist Solo, and has since made solo appearances around the country with the University of Texas Concert Band, New England Brass Band, Saratoga High School Wind Ensemble, and Boston University Wind Ensemble.

Lauren serves as the Assistant Professor of Trombone & Euphonium at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, TX. She also serves as a private teacher in the Austin area to 6-12th grade students and regularly gives clinics and masterclasses around the area. Her students have consistently won positions at prestigious universities, region bands, all-state ensembles, honor bands, and summer festivals.

Lauren received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Texas at Austin in 2024, where she served as the trombone studio teaching assistant. She also holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University, where she received the prestigious Brass Department Award, and studied abroad at the Royal College of Music in London for a semester. Her primary instrument was euphonium until graduate school, and she has a distinct passion for playing bass trumpet and sackbut as well. Lauren’s principal teachers include Dr. Nathaniel Brickens and Boston Symphony tubist Mike Roylance. Lauren has been published in the International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal and can be heard on the BBC Symphony Orchestra CD Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony, performing with the Royal College of Music Brass Band.

Meredith Fuller is a tubist and low brass educator based in the Baltimore area. She received her bachelors of music education and masters in tuba performance from Penn State University and is currently finishing her D.M.A. at the Peabody Institute.  

Fuller began playing the tuba in fourth grade when she volunteered to make a sound on the instrument at a Music In Our Schools Month demonstration. Her elementary band teacher picked her because she was a girl and she was small. The rest is history. She realizes that not every young student has as much support and opportunities as she did in public school and beyond. While pursuing a high level of performance, she also values educational outreach and advocacy for marginalized groups in the brass and tuba community.

Meredith served as the adjunct tuba and euphonium professor at Penn State University from 2022-2024 and teaches in Baltimore County Public Schools with the OrchKids program. She is an inaugural member of the Chrysalis Orchestra and has performed at the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC) in Denton, TX. She travels internationally with her quintet, Looking Glass Brass, and performs and teaches with her tuba-euphonium duo, 5'Two.

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