About SCBC

The Southern California Brass Consortium (SCBC), America’s largest professional symphonic brass ensemble, is a non-profit organization founded in 2013. Its mission is to share the exhilarating spirit of brass music through concerts, recordings, educational outreach, and world premiere compositions. SCBC is an ensemble of 25 professional brass players and percussionists (and a harp!), many of whom are studio musicians, as well as performing in such ensembles as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and entertainment venues such as Disneyland theme park. SCBC is also dedicated to the commissioning of new works; over the last 10 years, the group has presented over 20 world premieres.

SCBC’s relationship with the film industry allows us to present new arrangements of film music from past to present. SCBC creates 90% of its own custom arrangements, as many of our members are highly-skilled composers and arrangers.

In addition to ten successful seasons of concerts in Long Beach, CA, SCBC also maintains a very active presence in the Southern California community, collaborating with other notable organizations and performing at venues from Los Angeles to Palm Springs to San Diego. In 2014, 2017 and 2021, SCBC was featured as an opening and closing act for the L.A. County Holiday Celebration at the Los Angeles Music Center on Christmas Eve, televised live on PBS.

In March of 2023, in honor of Women's History Month, SCBC partnered with the Alliance for Women Film Composers to present a concert featuring music composed exclusively by women, including five world premieres. SCBC is looking forward to presenting a new and exciting season in 2023/24 for its 10th Anniversary!

The SCBC artistic and support staff:

KURT CURTIS (Artistic Director/Conductor)

Kurt Curtis has had an esteemed career with the Walt Disney Company for the past 42 years. He was the conductor of the world famous Disneyland Band, leader of the Disney Fanfare Trumpets, Pearly Band, and Main Street Merchants Association Municipal Brass Band. He was part of the creative team for the 30th, 40th, 50th, and 60th Anniversaries of Disneyland. After retiring from performing in the park in 2022, Kurt has remained in his role as clinician for Disney’s guest talent program “Imagination Campus” where he works with high school and middle school bands and orchestras in their “Soundtrack Instrumental Workshops.”

His work with Disney and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County has inspired tens of thousand of second grade students, starting them on their musical path with the show “Disneyland Salutes the American Band”. Kurt is a member of the Disneyland Entertainment Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Walt Disney Legacy Award, the highest honor given to a Disney Cast member.

Kurt is currently the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Long Beach Municipal Band, filled with some of the finest orchestral and studio musicians in the Los Angeles area and celebrating their 115th season this year. He was the section leader of the trumpet section for 25 years prior to his role as conductor. Kurt has been the President and Eb Cornet soloist of the Americus Brass Band for the past 38 years. Regarded as the premier authentic brass band in the United States, called upon for many Hollywood films using period brass instruments and performing original music from the mid 19th to the early 20th Centuries.

Recently, Kurt was invited to be the honored guest conductor of the Royal Swedish Cadet Band in Karlskrona Sweden, for the 10th Anniversary Concert in December, 2022.

Kurt received his Bachelor’s of Music from California State University Long Beach where he studied with Boyde Hood, Anthong Plog and Joan LaRue. As a professional trumpet player, he has been recorded on Crystal Records, Summit Records, and Music Minus One.

Kurt received his master conducting education and inspiration from his father, legendary wind ensemble conductor, Larry Curtis.

C. LEONARD CODUTI (Executive Director/Arranger)

Lee Coduti has a multi-faceted career as a performer, vocal coach, mentor, musicologist, arranger, and orchestrator. He earned his B.A. in music from Cal State Fullerton and his M.A. in musicology from Cal State Long Beach. A specialist in French music, his edition of Debussy’s Prix de Rome work Le Printemps was given its world premiere in March 1985. He has also worked extensively on the music of Lili Boulanger; his research and editorial work led to the world premieres of the orchestrated versions of Soir sur la Plaine and Psalm 24 in April 2000. Mr. Coduti was a member of the Opera Pacific Chorus for 17 seasons, performing in over 50 productions. He also performed with the Pacific Chorale for 14 years, and served as Musical Assistant to the Artistic Director, John Alexander. He currently maintains a large voice studio specializing in college preparatory training.

DREW NINMER (Trumpet/Concertmaster/Personnel Manager/Arranger)

Drew Ninmer is a freelance trumpet player, composer, contractor, and educator in the Los Angeles area. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and a master’s degree from California State University, Long Beach. As a freelance musician, he has performed with the Los Angeles Opera, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, Juneau Symphony, California Philharmonic, Redlands Symphony, and San Bernardino Symphony. He is an active studio musician for film and TV, having recorded for Mark Mothersbaugh, Nathan Barr, Bear McCreary, Sean Callery, and Russell Brower among others. In addition to performing, Drew has orchestrated music for Paramount, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., Six Flags, and Viking Cruise Lines. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of music at Long Beach City College, El Camino College, and Fullerton College and maintains a large private trumpet studio.

ANTHONY O'TOOLE (Staff Arranger)

Anthony O’Toole holds a B.A. in Music Theory and Composition from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a M.M. of Composition from George Mason University. He has composed more than 100 works and has written for virtually every major idiom and instrument. His music has been commissioned and performed by musicians and ensembles around the world. Mr. O’Toole’s music for wind band has been performed and recorded by some of the finest bands including the United States Coast Guard Band, the Kansas State University Wind Ensemble, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, and the University of North Texas Wind Symphony. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity, ASCAP and The American Composer’s Federation. Anthony currently resides in Long Beach, CA where he fulfills his commissions for new works and does orchestrations and arrangements as a freelance writer.

SCOTT NINMER (Staff Arranger)

Known for his colorful, inventive writing and versatility, Scott Ninmer has established himself internationally as a prolific composer and arranger in a wide variety of genres. Scott has written compositions and arrangements for a wide variety of artists, including Trisha Yearwood, Fred Hersch, Richard Bona, Raul Midon, Gregory Porter, Benjamin Millepied, Steve Wilson, Marcus Printup, Eric Miyashiro, Jim Pugh, John Wojciechowski, as well as ensembles such as the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Metropole Orkest, the Colburn Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the WDR Big Band, the New York Youth Symphony Jazz Band, the USAF Airmen of Note, the USAF Academy Band Falconaires, the Eric Miyashiro Band, the Southern California Brass Consortium, the American Tuba Quartet, and the Denali Brass. His music has been featured at notable venues such as the White House, the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, Kennedy Center, Strathmore, Wolf Trap, and Chicago Symphony Center. Scott’s music has attracted numerous awards and prizes from the “2 Agosto” International Composing Competition, the Detroit Jazz Festival Arranging Competition, the Jazz Education Network Student Composition Showcase, the Downbeat Magazine Student Music Awards, the New York Youth Symphony First Music Composition Competition, the United States Air Force Sammy Nestico Award, and the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards. Scott is a graduate of the University of Illinois in jazz performance (BM) and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz composition (MM). In 2014, Ninmer joined "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, where he currently serves as staff arranger. His music can be heard on a number of albums, most recently on the Grammy-nominated album “If You Really Want” by Raul Midón and the Metropole Orkest. His music is published through Kendor Music, UNC Jazz Press, McGinty Music, as well as on his own website, www.ScottNinmer.com.

(The information presented in this publication has been prepared solely by the author and neither "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, the U.S. Marine Corps, nor any other component of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government has endorsed this material.)

HECTOR SALAZAR (Artistic Director Emeritus)

Hector Salazar received his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills where he studied conducting with Frances Steiner. He earned his Master of Arts Degree from CSU, Long Beach, and studied conducting with Larry Curtis. Currently, Mr. Salazar is the conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay and is Music Director for the Carson Symphony and Southern California Brass Consortium.

Mr. Salazar has conducted premieres of Kurt Weill’s Marie Galante; Benjamin Lees’s Labyrinths; Douglass Fake’s Symphonic Episode and in 1992 gave the West Coast premiere of Claude Debussy’s Suite bergamasque. In 2009, he conducted the World premiere of Timothy and the Magic Garden composed by Philip Westin and narrated by KOST’s Karen Sharp with the Carson/Dominguez Hills Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Salazar has also premiered Philip Westin’s Lovers at Daybreak, a concerto for Oboe/English horn with the Music Ensemble of Los Angeles that featured Joseph Stone soloist and Sterling Maffe’s Fantasia for Strings, Piano, and Harp with the Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay. The Los Angeles Times said that Mr. Salazar “reveals a fluid and clear baton technique and an intelligent sensibility.” Mr. Salazar has also worked on numerous motion pictures and over fifty musical theatre productions throughout the Southland. (www.maestrosalazar.com)

PATRICK LENERTZ (Bass Trombone/Production Manager/Librarian)

Performing in concerts worldwide and working with world-renowned musicians and groups such as Andrea Bocelli, Leila Forouhar, Mansour Jafari, DJ/producer DeadMau5, Streetlight Manifesto, among others, Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated trombonist Patrick Lenertz never ceases to expand his repertoire. A native of frost-bitten Minnesota, Patrick currently resides in the Los Angeles area and performs a wide range of musical styles, including Afro-Peruvian, big band and jazz, chamber and orchestral, house and techno, musical theater, Persian, pop and rock, salsa, ska, and anything that is thrown his way.

Professionally, Patrick maintains a versatile portfolio. While attending graduate school, he was cast as a sidelining musician for the Oscar-winning film Whiplash, marking his film debut. Since then, Patrick has been cast as a sidelining musician in several television shows and commercials, including Better Things, Deadwood: The Movie, and Will and Grace. After receiving his Master’s degree in 2014, Patrick has worked as a freelance musician throughout Los Angeles and beyond, known for his abilities on bass and tenor trombones in both performing and recording environments. He regularly performs with multiple groups, including the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra (APJO) and the Southern California Brass Consortium (SCBC); he has been a performing member of SCBC since its inaugural concert in 2014 and has worked on its staff as both the Music Librarian and Production Manager since 2016-17. Patrick has been contracted for a handful of tours, including a regional tour of A Night with Janis Joplin (Laguna Playhouse, 2017), a U.S. tour of Evita (2019), a China tour with the Hollywood Concert Orchestra (2020), and a Saudi Arabia tour with Leila Forouhar (2020). In addition to producing and recording some original works, Patrick has notably recorded on DeadMau5’s album “Where’s the Drop?,” APJO’s album “Tradiciones,” indie film Ghosts of War, and for producer/singer-songwriter Roet, among other TV/film productions and groups/albums. While working as a freelance musician, Patrick is also a dedicated music educator. Since January 2021, he has been the Band Director and Music Technology Director at Westerly School of Long Beach, while simultaneously maintaining a large studio of private students on brass, woodwinds, and piano.

Patrick received his B.M. in Music Performance from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2011). While there, he studied with John Tranter and Tom Ashworth. He received his M.M. in Music Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach (2014) while studying with Bill Reichenbach.

TAYLOR PRESNALL (Production Coordinator)

Taylor Presnall has worked with a variety of arts organizations, including choirs, brass bands, orchestras, theatre, and touring companies. He recently served as the Guest Services Manager at LiveNation's FivePoint Amphitheater in Irvine. In his current role as a production assistant for the Southern California Brass Consortium, Taylor supports the organization's artistic and administrative team. He also works as a coordinator for the Chamber Orchestra of South Bay, where he assists with production. Taylor is passionate about the arts and is committed to helping arts organizations thrive. He is excited to continue learning and growing in his career and to use his skills to make a positive impact on the communities he serves.

KYLE RICHTER (Tuba/Social Media Coordinator)

Kyle Richter is a freelance tuba player in Southern California and member of The Disneyland Band. Attending Cal State Long Beach and USC for undergraduate and graduate degrees respectively, he spent time studying formally with John Van Houten, Norm Pearson, Jim Self, and Doug Tornquist. In addition to performing at Disneyland, he also regularly performs with the Southern California Brass Consortium, the South Coast Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay, and various other ensembles and chamber groups throughout the LA and Orange County areas.

VICKI NEWCOMER (Merchandising)

A Long Beach native, Vicki Newcomer worked as an assistant dental lab technician and dental hygienist for 50 years. After retirement, Vicki returned to school to earn a degree in interior design. She also authored a book on dealing with aging parents and working through memory issues brought on by Alzheimer’s disease.