Fred Mills: Trumpeter, Teacher Dead At 74
Sad news from the CBC today. Fred Mills, trumpeter with the Canadian Brass for 24 years died in a car crash on Monday night. He was driving home from the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta after playing concerts in Europe and veered off the road.
Mills was born in Guelph, Ontario in 1935 and bought his first trumpet from a traveling instrument salesman. He then went on to study at Julliard and won Principal Trumpet at the Houston Symphony before he graduated. In 1961, he moved back to New York City to become a founder member of the American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski.
To millions of brass players around the world, he is most famous for being a long-term member of The Canadian Brass. From 1972 to 1997, Mills commitment to quality playing changed the status and image of the brass quintet.
A statement on the Canadian Brass website reads: “Through the excellence of his performances and the quality of his arrangements, he helped lift the brass quintet repertoire from a curiosity to a legitimate and accepted art form rivaling the string quartet.” Fred lofted the piccolo trumpet into an indispensable role in the brass quintet, brought a new level of musical quality to the brass quintet repertoire through his arrangements, many of which are now considered absolute standard repertoire and spent over fifty years helping establish the trumpet as a beautiful, lyrical voice amongst solo orchestral instruments”
In 1996, he joined the faculty of the University of Georgia as a teacher of trumpet and brass quintet.
Fans are leaving tributes at the Canadian Brass site.
CBC | Atlanta Journal Constitution | Chicago Tribune | Boston Globe
On this day..
- Worst First Date Dinners - 2010
- Expanding Into New Markets - 2008
- Quiz #22: Second Clues - 2008
thepilatesbiz on 
Aforpeace on 
Yvonne on 
Fred was a wonderful dedicated musician and the world is going to miss him. He was my cousin and his playing with the Canadian Brass inspired me to take up my dream of playing the French Horn. My sincere regrets to his wife and his brother.
this was such sad news to hear. I never met Mr Mills, but came to admire and respect him not only for his tremendous musical ability, but also for his kindness. a very close friend of mine was a friend and protege of Mr Mills, and I know from the way my friend always spoke of him that he valued his friendship with Mr Mills very deeply. his loss is very strongly felt, and all those that were dear to him are in my prayers.
I just found about Fred’s death on 11/4/2009. We first heard them on CBC in 1975 … attended our first concert with them in 1982 … and had the wonderful gift of having lunch with them many years ago in Excelsior, Minnesota. Everyone of them were wonderful guys and I had the privilege of extended conversations with Charlie, Gene and Fred. Fred’s loss will be immeasurable.
My father is Gene Watts. The founder and trombone player of the Canadian Brass. Fred was a HUGE part of my life while I grew up. This is very sad and shocking news for me.