Part two of a four-part series featuring musicians from the 2025 NRO Alumni String Quartet Tyler Brugmann was born to spread the love of music, especially to young audiences. In a recent visit to Breck Montessori school, the violist had the entire room of small children following him around and imitating his every move. He was visiting the school for an interactive community engagement event with Haley Rasmussen, Sadie Hamrin and Solveig Geenen – fellow musicians from the NRO Alumni String Quartet.
Tyler Brugmann. June 2025.
The Quartet, all previous musician fellows with the National Repertory Orchestra, head up the NRO’s community engagement programs, educating children at schools and day camps as well as offering free performances throughout Summit County, at libraries, in parks, town centers and sometimes even on trails. Brugmann, a graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and NRO Class of 2022 and 2023, had to pull some (extra) strings to spend another summer in Breckenridge. He works full-time as a Medical Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and is in the process of applying to Physicians Assistant schools. He also plays with Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, is a section violist with Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and substitute at Erie Philharmonic. Still, he leapt at the opportunity to join the Alumni String Quartet. “My passion to continue to play music, my intense love for Breckenridge and the community, it was a no brainer to come back,” he says. “I’ve been striving to win an orchestra job, but the timing now is not right. I’ve always had a passion for medicine. I wanted to double major in medicine at my time at IU, but all the classes were at the same time as orchestra. Now I have the opportunity, the space, the mindset. I have been excelling … thriving. I’m beyond happy to be where I’m at.”
Brugmann’s happiness is proving contagious, especially among young audiences. The violist believes the format of the Quartet’s performances allows for that special connection with the community.
“I’m excited to honor the NRO as an alum to play with the String Quartet,” he says. “I’m excited to bring out my personality as much or more than I did in the orchestra. I’m excited to step into an ambassador role with community engagement. I’m bubbly, I love kids. I love connecting with people.”
The Quartet’s community events often serve as introductions to classical music for some individuals. From there, they can become the conduit to a lifelong passion for the art form.
“That’s what I picture, this constant community engagement. You’re seeing friendly faces. You’re playing wonderful music, playing for the parents, the library workers, the people who pay so much money to come to Breckenridge. They walk through the park and come see us play. It’s this constant string connecting the dots. We’re not only giving them the string, we’re connecting it with people everywhere. I know people who come up from Dallas, Texas, every year to see the NRO because they were walking the streets one time and saw us playing. That’s what the Quartet is about, being an ambassador. Like, take my olive branch and come experience this.”
Don’t miss the NRO Alumni String Quartet’s upcoming free concerts: JULY 2: Keystone Encore, 4 p.m., Quaking Aspen Amphitheater, Keystone
JULY 4: Pop-Up Concert, 12 p.m., Blue River Plaza, Breckenridge
JULY 10: Library Visit: Frisco, 10:30 a.m., Library Visit: Silverthorne 2 p.m., Library Visit: Breckenridge, 4:30 p.m.
JULY 16: Chamber Concert, 6 p.m., Riverwalk Center, Breckenridge
JULY 23: Pop-Up Concert, 1 p.m., Frisco Historic Park Gazebo, Frisco
JULY 26: Keystone Encore, 10 a.m., River Run Village, Keystone
JULY 28: Pop-Up Concert, 5:30 p.m., Silverthorne Performing Arts Center, Silverthorne
PHOTOS: By Elaine Collins