New York Brass Arts Trio
Brass Trio
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The New York Brass Arts Trio (NYBAT) brings together three versatile and highly active musicians from New York’s vibrant music scene. Trumpeter Thomas Hoyt performs with major ensembles, including the New York City Opera Orchestra, the MET Opera Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s, while also maintaining a long career on Broadway. Horn player Blair Hamrick is an in-demand freelance artist who performs on Broadway, with leading chamber groups, and with a wide range of artists and festivals across the country. Trombonist Haim Avitsur is an educator, chamber musician, and recording artist whose work includes collaborations with distinguished performers worldwide and releases on Arabesque Music. Together, NYBAT combines deep orchestral experience, diverse performance backgrounds, and a shared commitment to engaging, high-level chamber music.
Haim Avitsur
Haim Avitsur joined the Hartt School as an Associate Professor of Trombone beginning in the fall of 2016. He is also on the Classical Trombone faculty at Manhattan School of Music, NYC, and an adjunct low brass faculty member at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, New York. In 2005, Haim founded the Summer Trombone Workshop and is a founding member of the New York Brass Arts Trio. As a recording artist, he has released eight solo CDs and as of 2021 has been an Arabesque Records artist. His recordings are available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube, and all major streaming services.
Thomas Hoyt
Thomas Hoyt is a member of the New York City Opera Orchestra, Musica Sacra and The Oratorio Society of New York. He appears regularly with the MET Opera Orchestra, the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has also appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the All-Star Orchestra under Gerard Schwarz. Tom has been a member of the hit show “Wicked” on Broadway for the past 21 years and was part of the award winning Nickelodeon TV show “Wonder Pets”. He has a master’s degree from Yale University and a Doctorate from SUNY Stony Brook. He teaches at NYU and Queens College. Tom lives with his family in an old farmhouse in Ossining NY where he spends as much time as possible tromping through the woods with his dog Nelson.
Blair Hamrick
Blair Hamrick is a freelance horn player in New York City, performing in Broadway shows, orchestras, new music ensembles, chamber music festivals, recording sessions, and was most recently the chairholder of the Off-Broadway show, “Three Houses” by Dave Malloy. Blair’s recent orchestral experience includes the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Modus Operandi Orchestra, Riverdale Sinfonietta, New Jersey Festival Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of New York. Blair is also a member of the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass and plays regularly with groups such as Sigur Ros and the Little River Band. Dabbling in the jazz world, Blair has performed with jazz musician and composer Joseph Daley as well as Bobby Spellman’s “Revenge of the Cool Nonet” performance. Blair is a member of chamber groups Metropolitan Horn Authority and Nu Quintet. With these ensembles, Blair has given masterclasses and concerts at the University of Florida, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech University, and the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival, working with both horn and composition students.
As an advocate of new music, she has commissioned several pieces for solo horn, horn and piano, horn quartet, and brass quintet. She has presented and performed horn and piano piece, “Folkvangr” by Jayce Mulligan at the 2019 International Horn Symposium in Ghent, Belgium.
Blair recently completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University.
*updated April 2026
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CHORALE, SINGERS CREATE BEAUTIFUL HARMONY WITH ORCHESTRA
The Lancaster Chorale, given a workout throughout the piece, was never less than assured in occupying the same sonic space as the orchestra and soloists. Among the individual singers, mezzo-soprano Nims, with her refined, lilting tone, was particularly impressive.
– Peter Tonguette, The Columbus Dispatch
‘PETER GRIMES’ A HIGH-WATER MARK
“Equally superb dramatic and vocal contributions are made by mezzo Ann Murray, as Auntie, the owner of the local pub; soprano Nikki Einfeld and mezzo Abigail Nims as her precocious nieces.”
– David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle
ASO, SOLOIST BEAUTIFULLY PERFORM BEETHOVEN, BERLIOZ AT CROSWELL
“Nims gave a first-rate interpretation of every one of the songs in the cycle, demonstrating a depth of connection with the music that was quite remarkable. This was the first time she had performed this work in concert, but it was very obvious that she had thought long and hard beforehand about the meaning of the poetry itself. At the same time, she more than proved herself to be a singer of considerable talent, with superb control and vocal range, and sang the French-language lyrics beautifully and clearly.”
– Arlene Bachanov, Daily Telegram
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Sample Program
NEW YORK BRASS ARTS TRIO
Thomas Hoyt – trumpet
Blair Hamrick – horn
Haim Avitsur – tromboneFanfare for the Common Man Aaron Copland (1900-1990) (arr. Haim Avitsur)
Railway Fanfare Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006)
Trio Op 87 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) (arr. Haim Avitsur)Allegro
Adagio
Menuetto - Trio
FinaleTrio for Brass Gina Gillie (b. 1981)
Fanfare
Lament
Tango
Til Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks R. Strauss (1864-1949) (arr. David Jolley)INTERMISSION
Chaconne in G J.S. Bach
Scenes from Bach’s Goldberg Variations J.S. Bach (1685-1750) (arr. Haim Avitsur)
Aria
Variations 2, 3, 4
Variation 13
Variation 19, 22, 28
Variation 30, D.C Aria
Adagio Y Danza Ivette Herryman Rodriguez (b. 1982)
Musical Intermezzo NYBAT’s Favorite Things
Suite for Brass Trio Scott Joplin (1868-1917)Maple Leaf Rag
Bethena
The Easy Winners
Carnival of Venice; My Hat has Three Corners Folk Tune arr. Haim Avitsur