Meet Ceremony Brass
Steve Foster, Trumpet
Steve has been awarded degrees from Baldwin-Wallace College, Northwestern University and The Ohio State University. Currently, he plays co-principal trumpet for the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra. He is also a member of the COSO brass quintet which performs throughout Columbus and Central Ohio. Steven is a retired music teacher with more than 25 years of service. He frequently performs as a trumpet soloist and free-lance musician in the Midwest and around Central Ohio. Steve has performed with the Columbus Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Springfield Symphony Orchestras and has played with local "Dixie" and Polka bands for many years. He has been on the brass faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Wright State University, and Wittenberg University. Many may remember Steve as a member of a popular Dixieland Band that performed at Kings Island and Cedar Point Amusement Parks in the 1970's. In addition to performing Steven enjoys pontoon boating, home improvement, practicing the piano, exercise, theatre, and spending time with his wife Wendy and their five children. He is now employed with Ohio Health.
Dale Nawrocki, Trumpet
Dale, proud father of Joseph and Alex, has been performing on the trumpet since 1970. He comes to us by way of Cleveland, Reynoldsburg, Sugar Grove, Lancaster, Logan, and now Grove City! He's a music teacher in the South Western City Schools by day and enjoys being a freelance orchestral, Big Band, church and wedding trumpet player in the Central Ohio area by night.
The Ohio State University Symphony, Concert Band, Marching Band, and Jazz Lab Ensembles were his college groups, and he followed that by performing with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on a few occasions. Additionally, Dale is on staff at St. Patrick's Catholic Church and has performed with such groups as the Central Ohio Symphony, Rick Brunetto Big Band, Dwight Lenox Combo, the Famous Jazz Orchestra of Vaughn Wiester, Perpetual Brass Quintet, Ray Massa's Eurorhythms, Jim Johnson Orchestra, Clintonville Community Band, Grove City Community Winds, Columbus Gay Men's Chorus Orchestra, and various other Central Ohio ensembles. Additionally, he is music director of "Swings the Thing" Big Band.
Jed Hacker, Horn
Jed is a free-lance hornist around the Central Ohio area and adjunct horn teacher at Ohio Wesleyan University. He graduated from the Crane School of Music at The State University of New York, Potsdam, with a performance degree in horn. He has played locally with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra, Mansfield Symphony, Westerville Symphony, Welsh Hills Symphony, Southeastern Ohio Symphony and several British style brass bands in Columbus. Previously Jed was a soloist at the 1998 IHS Northeast Horn Workshop. In 2000 and 2002 he hosted horn workshops in Columbus that attracted more than 150 horn players from the Midwest. In 2002 he was the International Horn Society Ohio Representative. Jed currently performs with the Ohio Capital Wind Ensemble, runs the Columbus Horn Group, and keeps a full studio of horn students. In his free time you may find Jed and his wife Michelle riding their tandem bicycle on Columbus' many bike paths.
Ryan Hamilton, Trombone
Ryan is an experienced performer and educator who works in Central Ohio. While undergoing his collegiate studies, he left Columbus to tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. For two years touring nationally and in Japan, Ryan played 2nd and 3rd trombone and sang in the vocal group, The Moonlight Serenaders. Upon finishing the two-year stint, he completed a music performance degree from Capital University. He is a member of many diverse groups such as the Cathedral Brass Ensemble, Vaughn Wiester's Famous Jazz Orchestra, New Basics Brass Band, Yumbambe, as well as his own Ryan Hamilton trio. He also performs regularly with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Broadway Columbus, Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, Soul Kitch'n, New Remnants Dance Orchestra, Conspiracy, and Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. As an educator he maintains a large private lesson studio teaching trombone, euphonium/baritone and tuba to beginners through high school. At the higher level, Ryan teaches low brass at Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
Tony Zilincik, Tuba
Tony Zilincik holds degrees in music composition from Central Michigan University and Bowling Green State University. He is currently an assistant professor of music at Capital University where he teaches tuba and theory, and directs the brass choir and "Capital Thunder," the university tuba/euphonium ensemble. He is principal tubist of the Newark Granville Symphony Orchestra, and he maintains a large private low brass studio. He is the tubist in the Capital Brass brass quintet, the faculty quintet at Capital University, and the Cathedral Brass brass quintet at St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus. He is the former E-flat tuba soloist with the Brass Band of Columbus and has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He also is the former music director of the Central Ohio Brass Band and has performed with many Broadway touring shows including Annie and The Lion King. He is active as a freelance soloist, having appeared with the Brass Band of Columbus at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, with the Central Michigan University Brass Band, the Capital University Trombone Choir and with many area high schools. Also a prolific composer, his works have been performed in the United States and Europe. Many are published by Cimarron Music. Mr. Zilincik is in demand as a tuba and band clinician throughout Ohio and Michigan.
