Biography

Halcyon Brass Trio was founded by trumpeter Brennan Rudy with a vision to emphasize the use of brass trio music in recitals, religious settings, academia, and music education. Halcyon Brass is dedicated to performing and recording a diverse range of repertoire, including new commissions, original transcriptions, and classic brass trios. Members of Halcyon Brass are passionate about music education, and hold positions at universities and maintain private studios. In addition to their performances and recording projects, the trio works to provide educational outreach to local schools and communities.

Core Members

Brennan Rudy

Dr. Brennan Rudy enjoys a multi-faceted career as an educator, performer, author, and recording artist. Brennan freelances in both the Chicago and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts (2024) and Master of Music (2021) degrees at University of Maryland, where he studied with Distinguished University Professor, Chris Gekker. Brennan also holds a Bachelor of Music from Susquehanna University (2019), where he studied with Dr. Eric Hinton.

Brennan is particularly passionate about new music for the trumpet, finding ways to bridge our application of pedagogy between historical music and music of the 21st Century, which was the primary focus of his dissertation, 21st Century American Trumpet Sonatas: The Performance Practice and Pedagogy of Four Sonatas. You can find more information and hear recordings of Brennan at www.brennanrudy.com

Jack Holland

An active performer, Jack freelances throughout the D.C. area. Currently, Jack is a core member of the Great Falls Philharmonic, located in Great Falls, Virginia. Jack has also performed with local D.C. area organizations such as the Capital City Symphony, the Washington Chamber Orchestra, and Musica Viva in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Jack has also continued his commitment to music education and chamber music throughout the D.C. area. Through his work at the Fairfax Choral Society Youth Choruses, Jack has been able to work with students and parents alike to ensure the highest quality choral education. Additionally, Jack has continued to work with the Northern Virginia based music education organization Sound Impact, a collective of musicians dedicated to education in the greater DMV. With Sound Impact, Jack has served as an intern and volunteer, and has had the opportunity to curate a brass instrument educational recital as part of their music assembly program. Jack has also been fortunate to work with the Chiarina Chamber Players, a chamber music series in Capitol Hill, D.C.

Jack completed his Bachelor of Music degree in performance at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2021. There, he had the opportunity to study with Gregory Miller, Phil Munds, and Justin Drew, as well as participate in the Miami Music Festival with Gregory Miller. Jack completed his Master of Arts in Arts Management at George Mason University in 2023.

Katie Rose Hand Pirrung

Katie Rose is in her first year at University of Maryland as a Masters student studying trombone performance. She is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she completed her Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance from the University of North Carolina. During her time in North Carolina, she was an active performer playing in groups such as the Triangle Youth Ballet Orchestra, the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra, and the Durham Symphony Orchestra.

Katie Rose has a passion for early music, and she has played the sackbut in multiple international collaborations taking place in North Carolina, London, and Salzburg—in conjunction with the Salzburg Music Festival.