Player Bios

Scott Hagarty joined the quintet in August of 2004. Originally from Iowa, he has earned music degrees from the University of Northern Iowa, Yale University and the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. His past teachers include Dr. David Baldwin, Gary Border, Allan Dean and Dr. Randy Grabowski. Scott is a versatile freelance performer, having played with groups such as the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony, Cedar Rapids Symphony, Mankato Symphony, Rochester Symphony, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and Theatre Cedar Rapids. He is an active performer of early music as his secondary instrument is the cornetto. He has performed with the Yale Cornetto and Sackbut Ensemble, University of Minnesota Early Music Ensemble, Gregorian Singers, at the Schubert Club and with Consortium Carissimi.

Mark Adler, who has performed numerous times with the quintet in the past, officially joined the group in October of 2007. He is a native of Minnesota, and a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Mel Broiles and William Vacchiano. Mark is an active freelance performer in the Twin Cities area having performed with the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Ordway Music Theater Orchestra and Lyra Consort along with numerous solo appearances in local churches. Mark also owns a company which specializes in publishing brass music and provides music editing and engraving services to several other music publishers.

Eric Kodner has been performing with the Aurora Brass Quintet since August of 1998. After attending Indiana University, he began his professional career with the Israel Broadcasting Orchestra. He has toured internationally, performing with ensembles such as the Phoenix and Tucson Symphonies, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra. In addition to over 25 years experience as a hornist, Eric served as Assistant Music Director for Disney, Music Coordinator for the Minnesota Pops Orchestra and was Conductor and Music Director for the Guthrie Theatre. Recently he was Music Director of the Minneapolis Brass Ensemble, later sharing the podium with Henry Charles Smith, former Assisstant Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra.

Larry Zimmerman has played with the quintet several times in the past, before becoming a regular member in October of 2007. He is a member of the grammy-winning Chestnut Brass Company, and is Principal Trombonist of the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra and the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra. He is an active freelance performer in the Twin Cities performing with ensembles such as the Minnesota Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He is an active performer of early music, performing regularly on Renaissance sackbuts and 19th century Saxhorns. He is the low brass instructor at St. Olaf College, Bethel University, and the University of St. Thomas. He holds music degrees from St. Olaf College and Boston University.

John Weaver, founding member of the Aurora Brass Quintet, is currently Bass Trombonist with the Mankato Symphony and is an active freelance performer. He has performed with the Fifth Dimension, the Moody Blues, Richmond (IN) Symphony, Minneapolis Trombone Choir, Minnesota Jazz Orchestra and the Minneapolis Brass Ensemble. Mr. Weaver attended Indiana University and has studied with Michael Scott, James Kasprowicz, D. Scott Moore and Thomas Beversdorf.