I haven't updated this blog in ages, and I'd like to share some highlights from the past season! I just finished a week of rehearsing and recording with my new brass quintet, Seraph Brass! Very excited for the future with this ensemble. Stay tuned!
In August, I returned to the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont to perform Poulenc's The Masked Ball and Beethoven's Choral Fantasy. We also read through a piece for trumpet, bassoon, clarinet, violin, and cello that I liked very much-Casella's Serenata (a piece which in 1928 won first prize tied with Bartok's 3rd string quartet for the Musical Fund Society in Philadelphia) and Wagner's Siegfried Idyll. (photo by Pete Checchia)
In early August, I completed recording for my debut solo album, "Radiance." I am hoping it will be released by Christmas. We recorded in Philadelphia at my alma mater, The Curtis Institute of Music, in Gould Recital Hall. I recorded all American works including a commission by Philadelphia based composer, Joseph Hallman and David Ludwig's Radiance for piccolo trumpet and strings. I also recorded Joseph Turrin's Arabesque with my former teacher, David Bilger (Principal Trumpet, Philadelphia Orchestra). Other collaborators included pianists Alexandra Carlson and Milana Strezeva, trombonist Zenas Kim, and thanks to Leann Currie for assisting during the recording and during filming.
(with David Bilger, sound engineer Florian Krentz, and pianist Alexandra Carlson)
I also had a great time working with the amazing artist/videographer, Pablo Camacho.
(photo by Pablo Camacho in Gould Recital Hall at The Curtis Institute of Music)
In July, I had the joy of teaching at The Curtis Institute of Music's Young Artist Summer Program for a week. I heard some fantastic young talent! I was especially proud of hornist Andrew and pianist Gladys. They were a joy to coach and really made some great music in their recital performance (photo with Gladys, Andrew, and Curtis Artist teacher and Seraph Brass member, Katy Ambrose).
In June and July, I performed with the Des Moines Metro Opera in Iowa. My favorite opera to perform was Bizet/Brook adaptation of the Tragedy of Carmen with small chamber ensemble. I also reconnected with a hornist who was in the Chicago Youth Symphony with me from 1998-2000, Margaret Tung! We formed a brass trio recital with trombonist Timothy Howe. This was the highlight of my time in Iowa-we performed the Poulenc trio, the Nelhybel trio, and other works. I was so excited to revisit the Nelhybel-this is a piece I used to work on with my older brothers when they used to play trombone and horn. Our first teacher, Timothy Jones used to coach us. I think it was ingrained in my brain!
My summer began in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where I performed as Principal Trumpet with the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, conducted by Corrado Rovaris. This orchestra had tons of vibrant energy and I loved it so much! The festival was nice enough to let me do the beginning process of my CD recording. I recorded with a group of the festival strings and also with Principal Flutist of Utah Symphony, Mercedes Smith and pianist Milana Strezeva and sound engineer Florian Krentz with assistant producer, Jose Sibaja.
2014 Artosphere Festival Orchestra Brass Section
In May, I performed at my first International Trumpet Guild Conference in Valley Forge, PA. I performed Catherine McMichael's Totem Voices (a work that will be on the cd) and also Turrin's Arabesque. I met so many great trumpeters!
In mid-May, I had a trio performance in Jamestown, NY with pianist Milana Strezeva and trombone. Stay tuned for more performances through Manhattan Music Ensemble!
(photo by Raniero Tazzi) In the spring, I went on a 3 week tour of the midwest with some great brass players. We traveled around in tour vans through Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, and South Dakota. I loved tour life and a highlight was when we stopped to serenade a group of cows:
(photo by Vanessa Briceno) My long tour started off in Tucson, Arizona with my "Aunt" Terri Smith and Reverend John Smith! I performed a recital with organist Douglas Leightenheimer at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, gave a class at the University (thanks to Ed Reid!) Keith Hege and his wife hosted a beautiful reception at their house. Other season highlights prior to this long April-September tour included a recital in Laredo, TX at Texas A&M International University, my solo debut with the Springfield Symphony in Ohio conducted by Peter Stafford Wilson, and performing as principal trumpet with my favorite vocal group, Seraphic Fire in Miami.
With pianist, Joachim Reinhuber at Texas A&M International Univeristy
Rehearsing with the Springfield Symphony conducted by Peter Stafford Wilson
I finally got a chance to upload some recent performances. I have a vimeo music page here:
http://vimeo.com/user7023630
At lesser quality, I downloaded them on youtube as well.
I performed the Haydn Concerto at the Carpenter Theater in Richmond, Virginia with the Richmond Youth Symphony, conducted by Erin Freeman. In May, I gave a recital with long time friend, Michael Lodico. We first met at our first year at the Curtis Institute of Music and performed together a lot during those 4 years. He is now an organist at St. John's Episcopal in DC.
I will post my Jolivet Concertino performance sometime this summer once I get the footage. Next season, I have some recitals set up in Florida and Richmond, a duo recital with trumpeter David Dash, Copland's Quiet City, another Haydn Concerto with orchestra, and more! Check my website for dates.
For the rest of the summer I am performing opera at the Santa Fe Opera, and learning my recital music for next season!
It has been an insane month of traveling back and forth from Richmond to Naples. I finished my last semester of teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University. I chose to resign after four years because I have been living in Naples, Florida, since September. I will still travel to perform with the RSO, but the added weeks of teaching are just too much. I have new chamber music projects and teaching here in Naples.
Rex Richardson hired me when I was 25, and I basically had no experience teaching. I've grown so much learning how to be a good teacher. Teaching has enriched my life, and I have become a better musician and person from this. I will miss the studio dearly. I hope to come back next year for a recital and masterclass.
VCU trumpet studio, 2010-11
Trumpet faculty recital from 2008
Taylor Barnett, Brian Strawley, Rex Richardson, Mary Bowden
Here is a short film about me. It's funny that it is in Philly, and it makes me look like I am still in school. YouTube called me to interview me before I found out that I had made it into YTSO, and I was in Philadelphia for an audition. So they interviewed me at Curtis. And Bilger makes a brief appearance as well (we were going out for lunch). Isn't it amazing that you get a one minute video after 6 hours of interviewing?
And here is the Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare from the Finale Concert:
And Stravinsky's Firebird (I was playing second on this):
Last month I was a member of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011. It was quite the experience. Musicians from 33 countries ages 14-49 participated, some even taking leave from their orchestra jobs for the week. The Grand Finale concert was the largest stream ever on YouTube-the previous leader was U2 live on YouTube.
Here you can find links to the concert and other interviews:
I arrived a half a week early to do some sightseeing and I stayed with my mom’s penfriend, Heidi. My mom has 50 penfriends from all over the world, and I’ve been able to meet a few of them on my travels. Heidi lives in Rooty Hill-still part of Sydney, but about an hour from the center. I enjoyed the mornings waking up to a chorus of birds at 7am.
We went to an animal park and I got to pet and feed some wallabies and kangaroos. I was disappointed to hear that holding a koala was not allowed in NSW since they are the cutest animals ever…
We also went hiking in the Blue Mountains. They are called the Blue Mountains because of the blue haze caused by the oil of the Eucalyptus trees.
Before the week of rehearsals started, I climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We weren't allowed to bring cameras, so I will just have to remember the sun setting over the Blue Mountains in the distance.
The YouTube Symphony Week was so much work! But it was the good kind of work…I had a very short amount of time to learn the Stravinsky Octet, which was the most rewarding part of the week for me. Little did I know I would be sitting in between Bill Williams (former principal trumpet of San Francisco Symphony) and Ian Bousfield (principal trombone of Vienna Phil) with Håkan Hardenberger conducting. This is my new favorite piece (I'm very envious of the bassoon parts...)
We rehearsed in orchestra 3 hours a day (one day was 6 hours) along with ensemble rehearsals (I was in the brass and woodwind concerts). I'm hoping YouTube will post "Set To" by Turnage and the Octet. YouTube posted the encore we played with the least amount of rehearsal, but it was fun (Sarah Willis of the Berlin Phil, Bill Williams, Ian Bousfield, and Håkan Hardenberger joined us onstage).
The finale concert was amazing-I was impressed with the balance of technology with a high level of music making. The light show on the inside was impressive, but I wish I had been outside as well. An artist projected live art onto the Sydney Opera House as we performed.
Also be sure to check out my favorite piece of the night, Ascending Bird. It featured the string section and a sand artist (it's is amazing what can be done with sand! You have to watch this!) We also performed a piece by Mason Bates which featured soloists (a Richmond connection here-I've played a few of Mason's pieces with the Richmond Symphony, as he is a native to rva).
I was very inspired working with a group of passionate musicians from very different backgrounds. We had tons of music to put together in a very short amount of time and we adapted well. A lot more can be said about the experience, but I recommend just watching the concert. It will be interesting to see what the next YTSO will do, but I am hoping they take the same group on tour! Here are a few more photos from the week:
After the brass ensemble concert with Sarah Willis and David Cooper
View of the Opera House and the bridge from our boat tour
Rehearsal at the Opera house
All of the orchestra with MTT!
YTSO trumpeters: Travis Peterson, Jeremy Garnett, Pedro Silva, and me with Bill Williams
