Jack Brownell grew up in Truro, NS, and upon completing his undergraduate degree at Acadia University, spent two years playing with Symphony Nova Scotia. Following a residency at the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, Jack was invited as a scholarship student by renowned teacher/performer Daniel Perantoni to pursue graduate studies at Arizona State University where, as a Dean's List student, he completed his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts (performance) work with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Additional studies were also undertaken with Hollywood studio tubist Jim Self, and Dennis Miller, principal tuba of the Orchestre symphonique de MontrÈal

While chamber music is his genre of choice, having long been involved in professional brass quintets in both Germany and the United States, he has been found in Canadian, German, and American symphony orchestras, performing with touring Broadway productions, and enjoying an eclectic mix of work - from playing the world premiere live performance of the orchestral music from the movie Batman with its composer (Danny Elfman), working with famed American composer Gunther Schuller, or playing the most recently created solo-tuba feature written by Order of Canada member Howard Cable with Symphony Nova Scotia. (The famous piccolo trumpet solo from the Beatle's Penny Lane on tuba was a notable recent example!) Jack has recorded for CBC radio, television and CBC records, PBS, as well as the two-volume Summit Brass label's Golden Age of Brass . In January 1987, as part of the Symphony Nova Scotia Brass Quintet, he appeared as soloist with Symphony Nova Scotia (recorded by CBC) in their performance of Malcolm Forsythe's Sagittarius: A Concerto Grosso for Brass Quintet and Orchestra.

Following performance endeavours in Japan, the USA, and Europe, Jack returned to his native province where he currently combines his professional performing with involvement in academia: he is the resident tubist of Symphony Nova Scotia and currently serves on the faculties of Acadia and Dalhousie Universities, as well as the UniversitÈ de Moncton, having also taught at St. FX (Visiting Professor, Music History) and Arizona State universities. His articles have appeared in the ITEA (International Tuba Euphonium Association) Journal.

A featured guest artist at Scotia Festival in 1999, he returned in 2004 for the 25 th anniversary gala orchestra performance of Olivier Messiaen's landmark Turangalila Symphony , playing principal tuba alongside Charles Schlueter (principal trumpet, Boston Symphony), James Sommerville, (principal horn, Boston Symphony), and Alain Trudel (solo trombone artist).

An accomplished and respected musician in both the classical and popular genres, Jack is also widely recognized as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger. Living on Canada's east coast, he is much in demand both on stage and in the studio. A musician of great versatility and ability, Jack has shared the stage with some of the world's finest musicians, including Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, Howard Cable, Tommy Banks, Shirley Eikhard, members of the Summit Brass, Tommy Johnson (top LA studio tubist), Patrick Sheridan and Daniel Perantoni (internationally renowned tuba soloists), David Hickman (solo trumpet artist and Past-President of the International Trumpet Guild), Mark Lawrence (principal trombone, San Francisco Symphony and formerly Empire Brass), American Serenade Band, Henry Charles Smith, conductor, and The Maritime Jazz Orchestra.