CSO Brass

The brass section is such a distinctive feature of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s sound — albeit inconceivable without sympathetic complements in the strings, woodwinds and percussion — that it has become an attraction unto its own. “I had never played with an orchestra where the brass section had such a personality,” says longtime CSO trombonist Michael Mulcahy. “I’d worked with some very good players, and there were always stars in the orchestras I played in, but in Chicago, there’s this heritage and tradition. It’s a very particular way of playing. Every person who joins this orchestra has some catching up to do — even when great players come here from other orchestras. It’s because the way of playing here is so specific."