The adored quintet Canadian Brass have added another Canadian back onto their roster: Winnipegger Keith Dyrda.
“I'm so excited,” says Dyrda. "It's obviously a massive honour to be included in this ensemble and to be able to do it twice in my life feels really, really special.”
His previous stint came between 2010 and 2011, when Dyrda was a 21-year-old student completing his undergraduate degree at Montreal’s McGill University.
“There was a lot going on for sure during that year,” says Dyrda with a laugh. “But what I recall was just having an amazing time playing with those musicians.”
The lauded player – who has been dubbed “the Wayne Gretzky of the trombone” – has been a mainstay in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s brass section for years. He has also appeared as soloist with the Orchestra Symphonique de Montréal and World Peace Orchestra for Korea and has performed with Chicago’s Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera, Music of the Baroque, and Philharmonic Orchestra.
Founded in 1970 in Toronto, Canadian Brass has seen a rotating cast of players – apart from founding tubist Charles “Chuck” Daellenbach who has been a constant presence in the group – and has earned accolades the world over for their impressive and engaging performances.
Taking over from Achilles Liarmakopoulos, a “confluence of different things” led to Dyrda’s return alongside trumpeters Joe Burgstaller and fellow newcomer Mikio Sasaki, horn Jeff Nelsen and the aforementioned Daellenbach.
Given the busy touring schedule, it will mean that Dyrda has to take a step away from some of his other commitments, including work with the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra – though he will still regularly appear with the latter group.
“I'm very happy and lucky to be able to keep playing in the orchestra,” says Dyrda. “My performance schedule is going to be a little more full this year.”