The Zenith Brass Ensemble is composed of 30 talented youth musicians in the Troy, Michigan, area. Founded in 1995 by Mark Petty, Zenith features a wide-ranging repertoire and specialized brass and percussion instruction, attracting members from 15 area high school music programs in Oakland and Macomb counties.

After retiring from a career with outdoor marching groups, Petty founded Zenith to provide an opportunity for outstanding area youth brass players to make music together and develop their skills in the homogeneous atmosphere of similar instruments.

Drawing on the brass choir literature for college and professional organizations, their repertoire is fresh and exciting. Zenith performs music in a variety of styles: baroque, classical, romantic and 20th century, plus jazz, show and movie music. They also perform a wide variety of transcriptions and original music for brass and percussion.

Members are selected by audition and rehearse once a week in Troy on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., September to May. They are preparing for three concerts each year: in November, March and May. Zenith concerts feature a wide variety of music designed to be not only enjoyable for the audience but also educational for its members.

Since its inception, Zenith has drawn 250 members from more than 73 different school music programs. Since membership in Zenith is a supplement to those school music organizations, this group gives first priority to its members’ commitment to their school music programs.

Zenith members are regular participants in the solo and ensemble festivals, studying with the best brass teachers in the area.

Stay current with Zenith activities by visiting www.ZenithBrass.org.