The Southern California Brass Consortium (SCBC), Long Beach’s premier brass ensemble, welcomes renowned musical talent Kurt Curtis as its new artistic director/conductor. Curtis is replacing Hector Salazar, SCBC's founding artistic director/conductor, who is retiring from the organization after the April 28 concert that concludes its 10th anniversary season.

Founded in 2013, SCBC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing exhilarating brass music to the greater Long Beach community, area schools, and audiences throughout Southern California.

To celebrate the milestone, Salazar will hand the baton to Curtis to conduct of the second half of program. The 25-piece brass ensemble will perform "Celebrating the Oscars," showcasing scores for the big screen from Academy Award-winning films. Salazar will remain with SCBC as its conductor emeritus.

"I'm excited to work with some of the finest professional brass and percussion musicians in the industry, especially in Long Beach where the community has a deep appreciation of the performing arts," said Curtis. "It is also a profound honor to follow in the footsteps of Hector Salazar, a preeminent conductor who has led this world-class ensemble since the start."

"We started SCBC to raise awareness about the beauty of brass music," Salazar said. "With our unique instrumentation, we have succeeded in sharing our passion with audiences and musicians alike. I'm delighted to have spent the last 10 years as SCBC's principal conductor, and I look forward its next chapter with Kurt Curtis at the podium."

Curtis has deep roots in Long Beach, where he serves as conductor and artistic director of the storied Long Beach Municipal Band, the nation's oldest city-funded municipal band. After performing as the leader of the trumpet section for 25 years, Curtis was named to replace his father, lifelong mentor and legendary wind ensemble conductor, the late Larry Curtis. The band celebrates its 115th season this summer.

Kurt Curtis' esteemed career includes more than four decades with The Walt Disney Co., where he conducted the world-famous Disneyland Band before retiring in 2022. He also served as part of the creative team for Disneyland's 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th anniversary celebrations and collaborated with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County to bring the show, "Disneyland Salutes the American Band," to tens of thousands of Southland second-graders and foster their life-long interest in music.

Curtis continues to serve as a guest clinician for Disney's "Imagination Campus," where he works with middle school and high school bands in the entertainment giant's "Soundtrack Instrumental Workshops." He is a member of the Disneyland Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Walt Disney Legacy Award, the highest honor given to Disney cast members.

Salazar will continue to support SCBC with occasional appearances as guest conductor in his new role as conductor emeritus. He also serves as the conductor for the Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay. Salazar has received numerous accolades throughout his career of more than 30 years, including local and international awards from the City of Torrance, a commendation from the City of Los Angeles, and the silver medal for his accomplishments in music from the arts foundation of Santiago Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Under Salazar's leadership, SCBC has performed more than 60 season concerts and numerous special engagements throughout Southern California. The latter includes the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration, held annually on Christmas Eve at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion before a live audience of 3,000 and millions of home viewers. Salazar's legacy also includes developing SCBC's own catalog of almost 20 world premieres penned by both highly acclaimed and emerging composers.