Music in the Mansion: 19th c. American Brass Band Instruments Presentation

Join us for an engaging presentation and musical demonstration on historic 19th century brass band instruments by Dr. Chris Troiano and Dr. Steve Gasiorowski of the Yankee Brass Band.

Then, explore more of the musical history of Albany County with a special exhibit on community bands in Albany County history, including a cornet from the Altamont Band and historic band photos, including Milton B. Crounse (1871-1962) who was a cornet player in the Altamont Band conducted by Orville A. Robertson (1874-1933). .

Advance registration required since space is limited. Please be sure to cancel your registration if you are not able to attend so others may participate. Thank you for understanding. For those with ADA needs, please reach out to us directly: 518-436-9826.

To make your visit enjoyable and safe for all:

1) By car: please park in our Livingston Avenue lot, GPS address 136 Livingston Avenue, Albany NY. Free off-street parking. Our historic neighborhood has sidewalks for easy pedestrian access. See our website for information on public transportation.

2) Please wear comfortable shoes for walking on historic, sometimes uneven surfaces (no spike heels). Bags should be smaller than a backpack. Please no touching of historic museum collections. Water (in bottles) may be brought into historic museum spaces.

About the Presenters:

Dr. Chris Troiano received his Doctorate from George Mason University’s School of Music, where he currently teaches. Along with teaching, Dr. Troiano is the Historical Ensembles Program Manager for the Green Machine Ensembles at George Mason University. As a historical low brass performer, Dr. Troiano has performed with the Old Bethpage Village Brass Band, Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band, the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Band, the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment Band, the Fort Delaware Cornet Band, Beck’s Philadelphia Brigade Band, the Yankee Brass Band, and Music of the Regiment. Learn more about Dr. Troiano here.

Steve Gasiorowski is a retired Ph.D. analytical chemist. While spending 35 years working as an industrial chemist, Steve performed on low brass with many amateur and semi-professional ensembles in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Jersey. With a particular interest in 19th century American brass bands, Steve continues to collect and play antique brass instruments in groups such as Yankee Brass Band (35 years), the 12th NH Volunteer Regiment Serenade Band, a Civil War reenactment band which he currently manages, the Newmont Military Band of Windsor, VT, modeled on bands of the 1890’s, the Centennial Cornet Band of Portland, Maine, and on occasion the Federal City Brass Band of Baltimore, Maryland. He also plays bass trombone with the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra and the Carter Mountain Brass Band of Gilford, NH.

Since 1987, the Yankee Brass Band has entertained audiences with “historically informed performances” of 19th Century American Brass Band Music. Using rare and authentic period instruments, the Yankee Brass Band presents the music of the “Golden Age of Bands” played in much the same manner as in the mid to late 19th century. Each summer, the members of the Yankee Brass Band assemble from across the country, volunteering their time and talents to preserve this unique musical legacy through a week of live performances. The annual events are made possible, in part, through the support of the Friends of the Yankee Brass Inc. a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Additional financial support is provided by concert sponsorships and the generous contributions of individuals.

Learn more about the Yankee Brass Band's 2025 concert offerings: https://yankeebrassband.org/concerts/

Free educational programs made possible in part with funding by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and : thank you.

Images: Pictures of the Yankee Brass Band courtesy of the Yankee Brass Band. Photograph, Milton B. Crounse (1871-1962), Crounse-MacHarg Family Papers, ACHA Collections.

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