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eGALitarian Brass is comprised of New York City's top brass players. Our roster includes:
Kate Amrine, Trumpet
Pronouns: she/her
A passionate and creative performer, Kate Amrine is a prominent trumpet player balancing a multifaceted career from developing new repertoire and curating concerts to freelancing with many different groups in the New York City area. Kate frequently alternates between the musical theater world and the contemporary classical/new music worlds. Some favorite recent experiences include being the lead trumpet player in all-women bands New Heights Brass Band and TOP Queens and performing with classical groups including the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, Kings County Brass, eGALitarian, and Spark Duo. Kate is also very dedicated to commissioning and performing new music, premiering over 30 pieces both as a soloist and a chamber musician. In addition to performing, Kate maintains her own private trumpet studio and is an Adjunct Instructor at New York University. Find out more about Kate on social media @katetrumpet or on her website: www.kateamrine.com
Lindsay Ross, Trumpet
Pronouns: she/her
Lindsay Ross (she/her/hers) first picked up the trumpet at the age of 11 in sixth grade. Born and raised in Southern California, she is a graduate of San Diego State University (BM Music Education ’19) where she studied trumpet with John MacFerran Wilds. She has resided in New York City since 2021 and is pursuing a master’s degree in Classical Trumpet Performance at Manhattan School of Music, studying with David Krauss.
Recently, Ross has performed with eGALitarian Brass and The Villagers Brass Band, as well as the NYC Master Chorale Orchestra. She is one of three trumpet soloists who recently premiered Julian Bennett Holmes’s “Concerto for Three Trumpets in Echo”. She freelances throughout the city.
Jasmine Lavariega, Horn
Pronouns: she/her
A native of New York, Jasmine Lavariega’s curiosity in music was sparked from an early age. Now, as a freelancer in the New York Metropolitan area, she has performed with numerous ensembles including The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The New Jersey Festival Orchestra, and Ensemble 212. In 2019, Ms. Lavariega joined the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra in Japan and served as their principal horn for three years. During her time there, she performed with The Osaka Philharmonic and The Japan Century Orchestra. She also served as principal horn of L’Orchestre de la Francophonie in their 2018 Summer Season. During her studies, Jasmine Lavariega has received numerous awards including the Vicki Cowen Scholarship and the Ruth and Alan Broder Scholarship. She holds a Bachelors of Music in Horn Performance from The Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Erik Ralske. While not performing, she enjoys cooking at home and cat-sitting in her neighborhood.
Pronouns: she/her
Hanan Rahman, Horn
Hanan Rahman is a freelance horn player based in New York City. She frequently performs with the New Haven Symphony, Greenwich Symphony, Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and many other orchestras throughout the northeast, including the Cape, Allentown, Ridgefield and New Bedford Symphony Orchestras. Other recent engagements include the premiere of the opera ICELAND at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, a Carnegie Hall subscription concert featuring Audra McDonald, and the world premiere of the musical Other World at the Delaware Theatre Company. Passionate about contemporary music, she has held fellowships at several new music festivals including Lucerne Festival, Spoleto Festival, Grafenegg Festival, and Mostly Modern Festival.
Her teachers include Frøydis Ree Wekre, Michelle Baker, Bernhard Scully, and Eric Ruske. Ms. Rahman received a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance and B.A. in Mathematics and Computer Science at Boston University, and had further studies at the Manhattan School of Music and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Sarah Goldberg, Trombone
Pronouns: she/her
Sarah Goldberg is a Nepali-American trombonist currently based in New York City. Sarah started her music journey in Dallas, Texas and eventually moved to Interlochen, Michigan to study at the Interlochen Arts Academy to pursue her musical interests at a prominent level. Following her time in Michigan, she is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree in trombone performance at The Juilliard School as a scholarship student.
Along with regularly performing across esteemed venues in New York with various ensembles, Sarah has made appearances with the Juilliard Orchestra, Juilliard Trombone Choir, Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra, and is also an apprentice conductor for the New York Youth Symphony. Sarah recently placed as a finalist in the Lowell Chamber Orchestra International Concerto Competition in 2023 as well as the International Competition for Young Instrumentalists "Gran Premio Povoletto" in Udine, Italy in November 2022. Sarah is also a fellow with the National Repertory Orchestra based in Breckenridge, Colorado where she will perform in the summer of 2023. She has worked with conductors Manfred Honeck, Giancarlo Guerrero, Mei-Ann Chen, John Adams, David Robertson, Joseph Young, and James Ross. Her teachers have included Joseph Alessi, Thomas Riccobono, John Rojak, Michael Repper, and Leslie Dunner.
She is active on her instagram @sarahplaystrombone where she posts music related content and openly speaks on issues within the music community. Sarah is a performing artist for HAAG Brass established in Weinfelden, Switzerland.
Julie Zedeck, Trombone
Pronouns: they/them
Julie Zedeck is an up and coming freelance trombonist and low brass doubler based in NYC who is very passionate about music in our communities. Currently doubling on Trombone and Euphonium with the National Broadway Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, Julie has shared a voice in this timeless and important story in 25 different states across the US and parts of Canada. Proud to play with eGALitarian Brass, Julie truly enjoys being a part of bringing live music and representation of female and non-binary brass musicians to the people of NYC.
Julie earned their Bachelor of Music degree from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and is pursuing their Master of Music degree from the John J. Cali School of Music. Under the mentorship of great jazz and Broadway trombonists such as Jen Wharton, Mike Boschen, Jason Jackson, Tim Albright, Noreen Baer, and masterclass workshops with Wynton Marsalis and Joe Alessi, Julie has been lucky to receive versatile musical training from some of the top artists in NYC.
New York City based low brass specialist Gina Benalcazar is one of the most in demand doublers on the scene. Having degrees in both Classical Performance and Jazz Studies, Gina’s playing can be described as having deep understanding of low brass technique and jazz harmony and language. Under the mentorship of artists such as Michael Dease, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Luis Bonilla, David Gibson, and Doug Purviance, she has had the opportunity to work with some of the world's most prolific band leaders. She can be found playing with The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Roy Hargrove Big Band, Etienne Charles’ Creole Soul, The Rufus Reid Big Band, and others along with subbing on Broadway with Moulin Rouge and Some Like It Hot. She also holds the Trombone and Euphonium seat for the new production of Cornelia Street. In 2017 she won the seat of Bass Trombonist for Rodney Whitaker’s Jazz Orchestra at Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando Florida, is the Bass Trombonist of the Dee Dee Bridgewater Big Band, holds a Tenor Trombone seat in the Ulysses Owens Jr. New Century Big Band and holds the Bass Trombone seat in David Gibson’s Big Band. She’s also played as a sideperson with various ensemble orientations and worked in education with artists such as Michael Dease, Alon Yovnai, Chris Potter, Michael Mossman, Rodney Whitaker, David Gibson, Luis Bonilla, Marshall Gilkes, Conrad Herwig, Kenny Rampton, Marlene Rosenburg, and many more. She is also one of the Administrative Faculty at the Brevard Jazz Institute, under the direction of Michael Dease.
Gina Benalcázar López, Bass Trombone
Pronouns: she/her
Described by a colleague as “an industrial blender full of disco balls and lightning, wrapped in an evening gown,” bass trombonist and multi-genre low-brass specialist Jen Hinkle is a breath of fresh air and a spark of electricity in the music world. Their artistry, energy, and ingenuity are welcomed in all settings from orchestral stages and Broadway pits to nightclubs, classrooms, and churches.
Since arriving in New York from the West Coast, Jen’s artistic mastery, eccentric curiosity, and brilliant personality have made her one of the most sought-after commercial artists in the city.
Easily adaptable to a wide variety of musical styles, Jen has been engaged by a myriad of ensembles including: The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Broadway shows including WICKED, ALADDIN, BEAUTIFUL, WARPAINT, MISS SAIGON, LES MISÉRABLES, THE LION KING, ON THE TOWN, KING KONG; The Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band; Monarch Brass; Ed Neumeister’s Assembláge Jazz Orchestra; Grammy-nominated artist Dan Pugach’s Nonet; the Oregon, Seattle, Spokane, New Jersey, and New Haven Symphonies; and countless chamber music ensembles and orchestras throughout the United States.
In addition to holding symphony orchestra and college teaching positions, Jen has participated in panel discussions and judged competitions for the International Trombone Festival and International Women’s Brass Conference. A passionate educator and performer, Jen often performs solo recitals and leads clinics, studio classes, and masterclasses at colleges, elementary and high schools, and industry symposiums across the country.
While music is Jen’s primary artistic focus, her creative capabilities, interests, and talents span a variety of subjects including visual art, literature, composition, animal training, public speaking, disability advocacy, and community engagement. Their many areas of interest have led to quite a diverse and interesting career, and Jen is passionate about lecturing on the importance of following your own path and finding your own unique niche in your career field.
