Voices in Brass #10: Listening to Underrepresented Composers

Transmission I by Florence Anna Maunders: Amplifying the Unheard in Contemporary Brass

Hello, brass enthusiasts! In today’s entry of Voices of Brass, we’re tuning into a bold, electrifying work that exemplifies how brass music can give voice to those too often left out of the conversation. Our spotlight is on Florence Anna Maunders and her arresting piece, Transmission I, a tour-de-force for brass ensemble that speaks with urgency, defiance, and sonic imagination.

Maunders is one of many composers helping to reshape what contemporary brass can sound like—not by repeating the past, but by forging new identities, textures, and expressions. And in doing so, she reminds us that the future of brass lies in amplifying the voices of those historically underrepresented in classical music.

A Voice That Cuts Through the Noise

Florence Anna Maunders is a composer whose music defies convention. As a transgender woman and a powerful voice in the UK’s new music scene, her work often deals with ideas of communication, identity, and resistance. Transmission I isn’t just an ensemble piece—it’s a statement. A clash of sonic forces. A message trying to break through distortion.

🎧 Watch the performance here:


From the opening moments, you’re thrust into a world of fractured signals, angular brass calls, and dense textures that challenge the ear. This isn’t comfortable music—and it’s not meant to be. It’s visceral. Demanding. And that’s exactly what makes it so compelling.

What Sets Transmission I Apart

Rather than traditional melody and harmony, Transmission I thrives on gesture, contrast, and tension. The piece oscillates between jagged, near-violent bursts and eerie suspended textures, evoking the feeling of trying to speak—or scream—through static.

In this soundscape, brass instruments become extensions of breath, struggle, and resistance. Trombone glissandi stretch across harmonic terrain like distorted voices. Trumpets blare like warning sirens. Low brass pulses with a raw energy that feels physical, even threatening.

It’s a brilliant example of how modern brass writing can reflect the complexity of human experience—not through grandiose themes, but through sonic fragmentation and emotional rawness.

Why This Piece Matters

Works like Transmission I aren’t just artistic experiments—they’re cultural necessities. They break open the narrative of who gets to write for brass, whose stories get told, and what sounds are allowed into the canon. Maunders doesn’t just expand the sonic possibilities of the ensemble—she challenges the norms of inclusion in classical music.

By programming, performing, and sharing pieces like Transmission I, we’re not just supporting underrepresented composers—we’re redefining the future of the brass repertoire.

Closing Thoughts

Florence Anna Maunders’s Transmission I is a fierce, imaginative work that demands to be heard. In its dissonance and distortion lies clarity—a voice cutting through centuries of musical gatekeeping. It reminds us that brass isn’t just about power and tradition; it’s about storytelling, truth-telling, and the courage to be heard on your own terms.

Stay tuned for more entries in Voices of Brass, where we’ll continue to explore the bold, diverse voices shaping the future of brass music. Have a piece or composer you think deserves a spotlight? Drop a comment or send a message—we’re always listening.

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