 Gene
Watts
Gene Watts is the original creator behind the
Canadian Brass. When the idea came to him in 1970, he had
already carved out an orchestral career with orchestras in
North Carolina, San Antonio and Milwaukee.
Gene came to Toronto when he was hand-picked
by Seiji Ozawa as first trombonist for the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra. Soon he met Chuck Daellenbach (tuba) and the two
set out to create a new model for brass quintets, which has
been widely emulated but not yet matched.
Gene's life is steeped in music. He grew up
in a musical family in Sedalia, Missouri, where he listened
to mostly dance bands and sat in with local jazz groups. He
financed his music studies at the University of Missouri in
Columbia with his Dixieland band, the Missouri Mudcats.
Gene further developed his lucid, elegant style
during studies at the New England Conservatory in Boston,
and his love for music expanded from baroque and classical
to the newest sounds in concert music and jazz. His alma mater
recently awarded him an honorary doctorate in music.
The Watts philosophy of music has guided the
Canadian Brass for over 30 years. His intuition often shapes
the group's repertoire, and on stage his quick wit plays off
Chuck's as they work the microphones to the delight of audiences.
Gene shares his life-long interest in meditation
with the group, keeping down stress levels through months
of touring. He lives in Toronto with film maker Barbara Sweete.
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