Inspired by the 1996 British movie Brassed Off, the band was originally formed by members of the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble as the Austin Wonder Brass in 2005. In 2011 the name was changed to Austin Brass Band. The band competed at the NABBA Championships for the first time in 2019.
Our Conductor
Euphonium soloist, conductor and educator John Caputo is the Lecturer of
Euphonium and Trombone at the University of Texas at San Antonio. A sixteen-year veteran of the US Air Force Bands Program, he has built an international reputation for excellence as a performer and educator. As a chamber musician and clinician for the Air Force, he travelled to top university programs throughout the US with the USAF Reserve Brass Quintet. That quintet is featured on Firepower, which has played on NPR’s Performance Today over forty times in the last ten years.
John is a seasoned soloist, having performed numerous times in front of both the Band of the USAF Reserve and the USAF Band of the West, including a premiere performance of Eric Frank’s Watercolors at the International Euphonium Institute. John was also a critical member of the Georgia Brass Band, where he performed as their Solo Euphoniumist from 2003-2010. He was featured as a soloist with that band many times, including a performance at the 2011 Southeast Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference. John has given additional solo performances at the Great American Brass Band Festival, the Mid West and Southwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conferences, and the Northwest Big Brass Bash.
Since retiring from active duty in 2015, John has become an active teacher and clinician throughout South Central Texas and Louisiana. He is currently the Music Director for the Austin Brass Band and the British Brass Band of Louisiana. John plays Solo Euphonium for the San Antonio Brass Band and is in demand as a Besson Performing Artist and Clinician throughout the US. He currently resides in San Antonio with his wife Elizabeth Jones and their cats Lily and Joey Pancakes.
See a documentary on YouTube about the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. This is the real story behind the movie Brassed Off.
Danny Boy from the movie Brassed Off. In memeory of Pete Postlethwaite
As far as we know, there are only five British style brass bands in Texas. They include our friends to the south in the San Antonio Brass Band, the Dallas Brass Band, the Houston Brass Band and the Magnolia Brass Band based in Houston.
We rehearse Monday evenings 7:30PM – 9:30PM at
Covenant United Methodist Church,
4410 Duval Road, Austin, Texas 78727 Map