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BRASS TRIO MUSIC

Contemporary Brass Trio Music & Repertoire

Brass trio repertoire—typically written for trumpet, horn, and trombone—offers a vibrant blend of color, power, and lyrical warmth.
This page presents Lior Navok’s work for brass trio alongside a curated selection of contemporary pieces written for this ensemble.
The combination of three contrasting brass voices creates a flexible chamber group capable of both bold, fanfare‑like writing and intimate, blended textures, making it a compelling formation for modern chamber music.

PAPER TIGERS

for brass trio

Duration:
9' 30" minutes
 
Instrumentation:   
trumpet, horn and trombone
 
Year Composed:  
2023

BRASS TRIO MUSIC

THEMES:

PERSONAS

Program Notes

Paper Tigers is a term used to describe individuals, leaders, or nations who project a facade of fierceness akin to a tiger, yet upon closer inspection, reveal fragility akin to paper. The music presents these "paper tigers" in diverse scenarios, exploring their personas and vulnerabilities.

Abstract

Paper Tigers is a contemporary brass trio for trumpet, horn, and trombone that explores the contrast between outward power and inner fragility. Inspired by the expression describing those who appear fierce yet prove vulnerable, the work unfolds as a series of programmatic scenes for brass trio. Bold, declamatory gestures give way to exposed lines and delicate textures, revealing the instability beneath the façade. Through shifting motifs and contrasting characters, the piece highlights the expressive range of modern brass chamber music—its brilliance, its subtlety, and its capacity to portray psychological nuance within a compact contemporary classical setting.

Score Sample

Score of Paper Tigers for brass trio

About Brass Trio Chamber Music

The brass trio is a compact yet expressive ensemble, balancing the brilliance of the trumpet, the warmth of the horn, and the depth of the trombone. Contemporary composers often use this combination to explore rhythmic vitality, rich harmonies, and the unique timbral interplay of brass instruments. Its versatility makes the brass trio well suited for concert performance, educational programs, and modern chamber‑music settings.

Selected Music for Brass Trio

  • Andersen, Eyvin – Intrada (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Bentzon, Niels Viggo – Trio, Op. 82 (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Bernofsky, Lauren – Trio for Brass (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Blank, Allan – Brass Trio (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Bozza, Eugène – (Various original works for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Brehm, Alvin – Trio for Brass (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Cabus, Peter – Sonata á Tre (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Carter, Elliott – Call (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Chou Wen-chung – Métaphores (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Dahl, Ingolf – Music for Brass Instruments (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Frackenpohl, Arthur – Brass Trio (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Gillingham, David R. – Trio for Brass (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Koetsier, Jan – Figaro-Metamorphosen, Op. 131 (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Martin, Frank – Trio for Brass Instruments (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Michel, Jean-François – Suite (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Mollá, Ricardo – Song for Nurya (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Muczynski, Robert – Voyages: Seven Pieces for Brass Trio, Op. 27 (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Naulais, Jérôme – Flash (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Navok, Lior – Paper Tigers (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, 2023)

  • Nelhýbel, Václav – Trio for Brass (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Plog, Anthony – Trio for Brass (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Poulenc, Francis – Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone, FP 33a (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Reynolds, Verne – Trio for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Sampson, David – Duncan Trio (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Sanders, Robert – Trio for Brass Instruments (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

  • Schnyder, Daniel – Trio for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone/Bass Trombone or Tuba (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone/Bass Trombone or Tuba)

  • Starer, Robert – Trio for Brass (Trumpet, Horn, Trombone)

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