A group formed in August 2025, five friends who share a love for brass and many rehearsals later, Aurum Brass Quintet — Oakland University Chamber 2026 Music Competition winners — has qualified for an international competition in Rochester, New York.
The ensemble features two trumpets, Kole Micakaj and Carlos Perez-Hijar; horn, Abbigail Barrows; trombone, Grant Martinez; and tuba, Daniel Hoffman. Directed by trumpet professor Amanda Ross, DMA, the group has advanced to the semi-final round of the 2026 International Trumpet Guild (ITG) in the chamber music category — a setting that only 15 groups worldwide get to compete in.
“We recently performed our recital and submitted a tape for this competition,” Micakaj, a computer science major, said. “We’re the first people at OU to qualify for the ITG. That has never been done before.”
Set for May at the Eastman School of Music, all 15 groups will play for the judges, with the top three moving on to the final round. The group anticipates some fierce competitors.
“One group we’ll be competing against, from Texas, is a graduate brass quintet who receives a scholarship or assistantship to play in this quintet and represent their school at various competitions and conferences across the country,” Micakaj said.
Aurum will be performing all four movements of “Suite from the Monteregian Hills” by Canadian composer Morley Calvert — the piece Aurum played for the OU Chamber Music Competition. A brass quintet staple, the piece is musically rich, but very technically demanding. Members noted that it requires extensive practice.
“Our process is deliberate, yet speedy; we choose works that challenge us, that are still enjoyable to perform,” Perez-Hijar, trumpet performance major, said. “Much of our preparation is on an individual basis, and then we will rehearse together twice a week.”
Over the past seven months, they have mastered complex repertoire by composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, Victor Ewald and John Philip Sousa. Barrows mentioned that this experience has improved both of her areas of study.
“Working with these musicians has deepened my passion for horn playing and especially chamber music. As a statistics student, it has given me unique opportunities and the space to express my creativity,” she said.
Impressive fact: Micakaj and Barrows are not music majors. Micakaj is a computer science major, and Barrows is a statistics major with a minor in music. Before Aurum, the two were in a quartet called “Imposter Brass,” receiving 3rd place at the 2025 North American Brass Band Association (NABBA).
Apart from NABBA, Aurum members received recognition through national and international events, including the International Women’s Brass Conference, NABBA Competition and Drum Corps International.
Ross is astonished by the level of talent these students possess.
“Their [Aurum] commitment to the success and steady growth outside of our weekly meetings shows in the high level of performance they have achieved,” Ross said. “Our coaching is fast-paced and comprehensive, discussing fine details, musical expression as an ensemble without a conductor and balancing this level of work with other responsibilities.”
The highly decorated brass department continuously stands out. The Oakland University Brass Band, led by conductor Kenneth Kroesche, qualified to compete in the World Music Contest on July 11 in Kerkrade, Netherlands. To make this opportunity possible, click here to donate to the Laura A. Kroesche Memorial Scholarship, or write a check to Oakland University with “Kroesche Scholarship, MLKMS” in the memo line.
For upcoming performances, check out Micakaj’s senior recital on April 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Perez-Hijar’s on April 29 at 7:30 p.m. — both held in Varner Recital Hall. These concerts are free and open to the public.
