MASON CITY — A brass ensemble born on the streets of New Orleans will bring its genre-crossing concert style to Mason City when The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass performs Thursday, October 29, at NIACC.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the NIACC campus as part of the college’s 2026-2027 Performing Arts & Leadership Series.
Led by trumpeter Rodney Marsalis, the family-owned ensemble builds its performances around a straightforward idea: music should connect performers and audiences, regardless of genre or background.
From New Orleans streets to international stages
The group developed its concert format with advice from Ellis Marsalis, the influential musician and patriarch of the Marsalis family. Its approach moves across musical boundaries rather than keeping audiences within a single style.
For Rodney Marsalis, that versatility reflects a career spanning classical trumpet repertoire, baroque piccolo trumpet and works written specifically for him.
His performances have taken him across the United States and to countries throughout Europe, Asia and South America, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, China and Brazil.
The Mason City appearance brings that international experience to a local stage, continuing a season NIT previously previewed with Tony Danza’s music, dancing and storytelling presentation at NIACC.
A musical path that began at age six
Born in New Orleans, Rodney Marsalis began studying music at six. At 11, he started taking classical trumpet lessons with his cousin, Wynton Marsalis.
By 15, he had made his solo debut with the New Orleans Symphony. At 19, he drew national attention as a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra under conductor John Williams.
Marsalis went on to graduate from the Curtis Institute of Music. His training and career have included work under conductors Leonard Bernstein, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gerard Schwarz, James DePreist, Jesús López-Cobos and Christopher Hogwood.
Wynton Marsalis offered a memorable endorsement of his cousin’s artistry: “No one plays absolutely beautifully all the time… unless you’re my cousin Rodney.”
Concert and ticket information
The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the NIACC campus.
Tickets are available through the NIACC Box Office or by calling 641-422-4188.
More information about the ensemble is available at RMPBB.com.