Saltwater Brass Quintet is an all-female ensemble based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). The group consists of Katie Sullivan and Jill Dawe (trumpet), Emily Dunsmore (French horn), Hillary Simms (trombone) and Catherine Tansley (tuba). Four of the five are current members of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and active performers and educators within the Province’s vibrant Arts community.  St. John’s area native Hillary Simms, also a former Symphony member, currently resides in New York where she is a faculty member at Juilliard and a member of the world-renowned American Brass Quintet.

Formed in 2020 during the depths of the pandemic, Saltwater Brass Quintet pivoted quickly to create online performances for all those who could no longer gather in person.  Looking to build on their outreach efforts as the Province gradually returned to a new normal, the ensemble seized upon every opportunity, both in-person and online, to bring their music and spirit to those who had been isolated for far too long.  Most recently, for example, as part of the NSO’s outreach initiative, the quintet toured Labrador where they performed in Nain, Happy Valley- Goose Bay, and North West River.  In so doing, Saltwater was honoured to premiere an original musical-historical presentation they had commissioned specifically for their Labrador tour. Harmony in Ulliasuk, written by Kyle McDavid with Deantha Edmunds, portrays the now century old story of Martha Joshua, an Inuk woman from Labrador who at the tender age of 7, survived the Spanish Flu pandemic. The much-heralded production celebrated the concept of ‘home’ and the undeniable will to survive, even against unimaginable odds.  The performances, like the collaboration and partnership that enabled them, also served as a poignant reminder of the continued need for cultural understanding and reconciliation. 

Going forward, NL’s own Saltwater Brass Quintet are determined to continue to play their part in bringing the culture and musical diversity of NL to audiences near and far.  While embracing and lifting up one and other, Saltwater remains ever mindful of the unique power of music to not only entertain and educate, but to also help comfort and heal, all those who lend an ear.