Patrick Addinall

Patrick Addinall is the Principal Trumpet with the BBC Philharmonic. He took up this post in 1982 having just completed his course at the Royal Northern College of Music (the location of the 2002 ITG Conference). Here he studied with John Dickenson, Howard Snell and Sir Phillip Jones. More recently he has had coaching from Boyde Hood, of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose help has formed the foundations of Patrick's present playing and teaching.

Having enjoyed giving his master class at the 2002 ITG Conference, Patrick now looks forward to the premier of his great friend, Ifor Hodgson’s Concerto for Trumpet and coaching more fellow players.

Ivano Ascari

Ivano Ascari was born in Guastalla, Italy in 1958 and began to play the trumpet in primary school. He studied at “Arrigo Boito” Parma State Conservatory and graduated in 1977 with M. Renzo Robuschi. After this he studied in Paris with Pierre Thibaud.

Having won a national competition, M. Ascari was appointed principal trumpet of the Haydn Symphony Orchestra of Bolzano where he remained for 14 years and performed many concertos including those by Haydn, Hummel, Telemann, L. Mozart, Shostakovich, and Martin as well as double concerti by Vivaldi, Manfredini and Franceschini.

Ivano has performed with the Scala Theater Milano Orchestra from 1977-78 and also the Budapest Symphony, Bergamo Stabile Orchestra and the Bologna Opera Theater. For twenty years he played with the Verona Brass Ensemble with whom he has won several international chamber music competitions. The ensemble has also recorded a CD and has given concerts throughout Europe, China and the U.S.

Ivano Ascari was appointed Professor of Trumpet at Riva del Garda State Conservatory of Music. M. Ascari in addition to his teaching has dedicated himself to a solo career. His goal is to develop a larger repertory for trumpet in chamber music. His passion galvanizes many composers, both in Italy and abroad, to write music for the trumpet. As of May 2003 he has recorded 4 CDs of new music, and a fifth recording in the planning stages. M. Ascari would like to continue with this series of recording new music for trumpet, and is always happy to meet and get to know composers enthusiastic about writing for the trumpet. Recent solo and chamber music performances have taken him to the United States, Belgium, France, Greece, Germany, and Italy. M. Ascari will soon complete his doctorate in Economic History at Parma State University.

Scotty Barnhart

Whether it is performing as a featured soloist with The Count Basie Orchestra in venues all over the world, playing muted solos behind legends Frank Sinatra, Cab Calloway, Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, or Tony Bennett, appearing with pianist Marcus Roberts at Carnegie Hall, or leading his own quintet at major Jazz festivals and night clubs, musicians and critics alike have acknowledged the emergence of a new and original voice in the world of Jazz. Trumpeter, composer, clinician and arranger, Scotty Barnhart began receiving critical acclaim from his work with Marcus Roberts who featured him alongside Wynton Marsalis on the 1990 release of Deep In The Shed (RCA/Novus), and the accolades continue.

Now residing in Los Angeles, California, William Terrell "Scotty" Barnhart was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 27, 1964. While in high school, Scotty was chosen first chair trumpet for the all-district, all-county, and all-state bands, and was chosen to attend the prestigious summer music camp at Northwestern University. He was also selected as first trumpet and soloist for the NFL's Atlanta Falcon Band and the Atlanta Community Orchestra. The Atlanta Branch of the NAACP selected him as one of the "Outstanding Young Person's Of The Year for 1981" and upon his high school graduation, Scotty was named a member of the Jazz Abroad program that toured Europe for three weeks. The King family presented him with a music scholarship in honor of the mother of Dr. King, Jr., The Alberta Williams King Scholarship for Music and he was also the recipient of The Count Basie Scholarship from the estate of William "Count" Basie. These scholarships were used to attend Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, where he obtained a B.S. Degree in Music Education and was an active member of the music fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi and all music ensembles including the world renowned Marching 100.

Scotty discovered his love for Jazz when his parents took him to see The Count Basie Orchestra at the age of twelve. At age seventeen, this passion was fueled with a serious desire to learn to play Jazz after seeing the Basie Orchestra in concert again and having a long conversation with Basie veteran trumpeter, Sonny Cohn. Two weeks later, while touring Europe with the Jazz Abroad Tour, Scotty met Wynton Marsalis in London's famed Jazz club, Ronnie Scott's. A friendship began and Marsalis recognized Scotty's talent and gave him one of his own custom designed trumpets when Scotty began playing with Marcus Roberts, who had been pianist/orchestrator for Marsalis for six years.

Opportunities with Roberts and others were almost ended when mistakes by dentists left him unable to play the trumpet for eleven months. Repeated surgery was required to repair and rebuild after orthodontists caused severe bone and tooth loss. Down, but not out, Scotty used this period to listen to countless Jazz recordings and study jazz piano, composition, and arranging, and he became the pianist for the FAMU Jazz Orchestra until he could resume playing the trumpet.

The Deep In The Shed recording, Scotty's first, reached the number one spot on the Billboard charts. New York Magazine declared it as "potentially the most important Jazz recording of the 1980's." Other recordings featuring Barnhart are Robert's As Serenity Approaches, on which he plays the title track, written especially for him by Roberts; and Pontius Pilate's Decision, the debut recording from trombonist/producer Delfeayo Marsalis. All of these critically acclaimed recordings feature what Marsalis calls "one of the fattest and prettiest trumpet tones I have ever heard."

All of the aforementioned led to Scotty being offered a position with The Count Basie Orchestra, which he accepted in January 1993. While touring with the Basie Orchestra, Scotty gives seminars in Jazz history and improvisation at schools and universities all over the world. As a part of these clinics, he demonstrates how the style of Jazz trumpet progressed from Louis Armstrong to Dizzy Gillespie to Miles Davis and others up through Wynton Marsalis by actually playing their solos "verbatim." This rare ability led to his being selected to perform trumpet solos in the style of Louis Armstrong in a documentary filmed at Universal Studios in Florida. This also led Scotty to begin work on a book that will provide in detail a historical and methodical analysis of the major practitioners of the Jazz trumpet.

With his own quintet, Scotty has played to rave reviews at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Charlotte Jazz Festival, Galveston Island Jazz Festival, and at Birdland in New York City. He was also featured with Ellis Marsalis and Marcus Roberts in a unique setting of two grand pianos and trumpet at the Denver Jazz Festival. Additionally, he has performed with Lou Rawls, Nancy Wilson, The Mills Brothers, The Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra, The Frank Capp Orchestra, trumpet masters Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, Jon Faddis, Nat Adderley, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Wynton Marsalis, and played lead trumpet for top stars such as Natalie Cole, Diane Schuur, and The Temptations. Scotty's original composition and arrangement, "Little Wishes," was recorded by vocalist/lyricist Melissa Walker on her Enja debut CD, May I Feel.

Expecting to release his first disc as a leader soon, Scotty continues to lead his own quintet and is in his tenth year as a featured soloist, composer, and arranger with The Count Basie Orchestra. He was the only musician featured on two Grammy-nominated Jazz recordings in the same category in 1997, Portraits in Blue with pianist Marcus Roberts and The Count Basie Orchestra with The New York Voices, with the latter taking the honors. The Count Basie Orchestra's Count Plays Duke, which also features solos by Scotty, also won the Grammy Award in 1999.

Verena Barth

Verona Barth was born in 1970 in Freiburg, Germany. She began her studies in musicology and Scandinavian languages at the University of Tuebingen, before she moved to Lund, Sweden in 1990. Here she studied with Bo Nilsson, and continued her studies of musicology one year later. Since 1992 she is based in Gothenburg, where she received her masters degree in musicology and history of art.

At the moment she is a doctoral student with the renowned trumpet scientist Reine Dahlqvist as one of her supervisors. Her dissertation concerns the classical solo trumpet in Europe from 1900 to present. Verena Barth has also been active within the Euro-ITG, where she served as editor of the Euro-ITG Newsletter from 1996-98 and as a board member.

Terence Blanchard

“Blanchard’s virtues spring from his sense of restraint. The joy is in the tease,” said People Magazine. Since his days under the tutelage of Art Blakey, Blanchard has matured to one of the most important musician/composer/band leaders of his generation.

The release of Let's Get Lost follows the success of Wandering Moon, released in 2000 on Sony Classical, featuring Blanchard performing his own compositions. The album won him a Grammy nomination as well as Album of the Year in Down Beat’s annual poll, which also named him Artist and Trumpeter of the Year. Also for Sony Classical, Jazz in Film featured Blanchard in an exploration of the influence of jazz in classic movie scores, including Duke Ellington's “Anatomy of Murder”, Quincy Jones'” The Pawn Broker” and Jerry Goldsmith's “Chinatown”. Artists featured on the album are Joe Henderson, Donald Harrison, Kenny Kirkland, Steve Turre, Carl Allen and Reginald Veal.

Blanchard's creative musical presence continues to be felt in the film industry. "Although there’s no denying that Terence Blanchard has ‘gone Hollywood’ -- no less than six movies bearing his soundtrack work have hit theaters in the past few years - the trumpeter hasn’t lost touch with the traditional jazz world that nurtured him more than 15 years ago," noted Daily Variety in a recent article. In fact, Blanchard has launched a rebirth of jazz's existence within the orchestral world with his mesmerizing film compositions. "It's a different discipline which allows you to be creative in a different form," comments Blanchard. By successfully merging the two media into a unique and diverse body of work, Blanchard has conceived an impressive accomplishment.

Blanchard began his film scoring career in the late 80s working with Spike Lee on films such as Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Clockers, Summer of Sam and the Academy Award nominated 1997 documentary Four Little Girls. The most recent Blanchard/Lee collaboration was the critically acclaimed 2000 release Bamboozled, a film dealing with racism in television, starring Jada Pinkett, Savion Glover and Tommy Davidson.

Despite his involvement in film and television, Blanchard distinctly regards himself primarily as a jazz musician. He successfully juggles touring with his band while undertaking outside projects. "Nothing can beat being a jazz musician, playing a club, playing a concert. When I stood next to Sonny Rollins at Carnegie Hall and listened to him play, that was it for me."

Working to further jazz education, Blanchard recently accepted an appointment to the University of Southern California (USC) as the Artistic Director for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance. As Artistic Director, Blanchard’s primary role will be to provide artistic direction for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble, comprised of young, extremely talented jazz artists known as the Thelonious Monk Fellows. Blanchard will work with the students in the areas of artistic development, arranging, composition, career counseling and concert programming. He will also participate in master classes and community outreach programs associated with the college program.

An alumnus of the New Orleans Center of Creative Arts, Blanchard emerged on the New York jazz scene in the 80s, becoming a part of an exciting musical renaissance taking place among young musicians, including hometown colleagues Wynton and Branford Marsalis. Most notably he collaborated with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and alto- man Donald Harrison, with whom he recorded such memorable projects for Columbia Jazz as Crystal Stair and Black Pearl. Among Blanchard’s numerous honors are the Grand Prix du Disque award (for his album New York Second Line in 1984), a Grammy Award nomination (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Group, for his contribution to the soundtrack of Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues in 1990), an Emmy Award nomination (Best Original Score For a Documentary for The Promised Land in 1995), and another Grammy nomination (Best Latin Jazz Performance for his album The Heart Speaks in 1996).

Terence Blanchard was born on March 13, 1962, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Encouraged by his musically inclined father, Joseph Oliver, he began learning the piano at the age of five. Initially, he wasn't too excited about his lessons, an attitude that vanished after a phenomenal discovery. "I'll never forget it," said Blanchard. While in the third grade, a jazz band came to his school for an assembly. Blanchard was present in the audience and attentively aware of one Alvin Alcorn, the trumpet player in the band. After hearing him Terence said, "I want to do that!"

Eric Berlin

Eric Berlin is the newly appointed Visiting Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Since 1998, Mr. Berlin has been the Principal Trumpet of the Albany Symphony Orchestra in Albany New York. In that position, he can be heard on numerous recordings of new American repertoire under David Allen Miller. In addition to his permanent positions, he performs regularly with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and many regional orchestras.

In recent years, Eric has been a finalist at several auditions for principal positions in the Chicago, Baltimore and Colorado Symphonies as well as for the fourth trumpet position in the Boston Symphony Orchestra several times.

In September of 2001, Mr. Berlin premiered Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra commissioned for him by the Albany Symphony Orchestra from composer Evan Hause. In May of 2003, Eric will premier "Skylines" by Howard Buss at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. He has also appeared as a soloist with the UMASS Wind Ensemble, the Northeastern University Band, the Lakes Region Symphony and the Nashua Chamber Orchestra.

Eric is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and was a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Mr. Berlin's primary teachers include Charles Schlueter, Vince Penzerella, Robert Nagel and Frank Kaderabek.

In addition to his duties at UMASS and with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, he is still an active freelance musician in Boston and continues to lead the Majestic Brass Quintet, which is in residence at Northeastern University.

Kris Chesky

Kris Chesky was born in Holyoke, Mass and holds a trumpet performance degree from Berklee College of Music (B.M. 1983) and music education degrees from the University of North Texas (M.M.E., 1988; Ph.D. 1992).  His trumpet teachers included Chester Gawron, Raymond Katwika, Wes Hensel, Gregg Hopkins, Jeff Stout, Don Jacoby, and Leonard Candelaria.  Dr. Chesky has developed and teaches graduate courses on music and medicine within the UNT College of Music and is an active professional trumpet player. He serves as Director of Education and Research for the Texas Center of Music & Medicine and holds a unique joint faculty position within the UNT College of Music and the UNT Health Science Center Department of Medicine in Fort Worth. Dr Chesky serves on the Board of Directors for the Performing Arts Medical Association, the Scientific Review Board for the Medical Problems of Performing Artists Journal, and the Editorial Review Board for International Trumpet Guild Journal.

Dr. Chesky's research focuses on the medical problems of musicians and applications of music in medicine. Dr. Chesky holds a U.S. patent for the development of music vibration technology and has conducted research studies within several hospitals and university-based research settings. He has received research grants including some from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and has published numerous scientific research articles in both music and medicine journals and books, including a recent chapter on musicians’ health in The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning (Oxford Press, 2002).

Phil Driscoll

The name Phil Driscoll is synonymous with great music. His trumpet, voice, heart and soul have moved audiences around the world for more than 20 years.

Phil Driscoll has the unique ability to turn a twisted piece of brass into a soaring instrument of beauty, when you hear him sing or listen to the music he has composed, you will agree that Phil Driscoll is a world-class artist of the new millennium. The man, the music and the message Phil portrays have withstood the test of time. His message of hope is paramount in the music he represents and the life he lives.

From Grammy awards to the applause of presidents, as well as, prisons to missions of mercy, the sound and message of the music coming from the heart of Phil Driscoll rings strong and true. From performances and recordings with rock and roll legends like Joe Cocker and Blood Sweat& Tears to classical music recordings with the London Philharmonic orchestra at CBS. An accomplished composer and writer, his music has been heard in countries all over the world, including Singapore, South Africa, Europe and Russia, to name just a few. His appeal is truly universal. The diversity of Phil Driscoll’s sound, from jazz to blues to gospel; and up-tempo pop to heartfelt ballads, will take you on a musical journey you will not soon forget.

On a personal note, Phil’s regard for his family plays a major role in his life. He has a wonderful and beautiful wife, Lynne, and three children. His sons, Shawn and Jamie, and his daughter Danielle, have inherited much of their father’s heart for music.

Luis Engelke

Originally a native of Brazil, Luis C. Engelke is currently professor of trumpet and graduate coordinator at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland and on the faculty of the Maryland Conservatory of Music. He performs more than a hundred engagements annually as an orchestral and chamber musician, soloist, educator, scholar, composer/arranger, and conductor, and currently serves as Music Reviews Editor for the International Trumpet Guild Journal. His recently released solo CD titled A Brazilian Collection is available from Amazon.com.

A former member of Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira (OSB, Rio de Janeiro), Engelke has performed with the following orchestras: Phoenix Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony, Harrisburg Opera, Annapolis Opera, Mesa Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Ohio Valley Symphony, Orquestra Pro-Música (Rio de Janeiro), Music at Penn’s Woods Festival Orchestra, Rome Festival Orchestra (Italy), and Pro-Music Chamber Orchestra of Columbus. Work in jazz, popular music, and other styles include performances with Andrea Bocelli, the Moody Blues, the Heavenly Seven, and recordings for Globo TV in Brazil. Additionally, he has performed as a soloist in North America, South America, and Europe and recorded for the Pro-Arte and other labels. With OSB, Engelke recorded the trumpet solo for Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Choros No. 10 on the soundtrack for the film Villa-Lobos: Sua Vida de Paixão (2000). He has taught at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Conservatório Brasileiro de Música, Arizona State University, Ohio State University, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and Florida State University Music Camps, in addition to providing other master classes and workshops at various institutions and conferences.

His scholarly work includes more than seventy publications in the ITG Journal, Euro-ITG Newsletter, Jazz Educators Journal, and Triad. Topp Brass in Switzerland has published several of his arrangements. Engelke holds the BM and BME degrees from Florida State University, the MM and MA degrees from Ohio State University, and DMA from Arizona State University. He has won awards and scholarships from the following organizations: CAPES-Fulbright, Music Teachers National Association, International Trumpet Guild, and Rádio Mec.

Brian Evans

Brian Evans began his brass playing on tenor horn, aged 12.  Seven years later, he was solo cornet with the Australian Army Band Sydney, leaving after 12 months to spend the next 14 months with the ABC National Training Orchestra.  In 1975, aged 21, he was appointed 2^nd Trumpet with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (then the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Sydney Orchestra).  He has held his current position of Principal 3^rd Trumpet/solo Cornet, since 1983 and has performed for extended periods in all chairs in the section.  He has performed most of the important solo cornet parts including Swan Lake; Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovski); Romeo and Juliet(Prokofiev); Otello(Verdi) and Faust(Berlioz).   Brian’s principal trumpet roles have included: Der Rosenkavelier (R. Strauss); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Britten); Turandot (Puccini); Die Meistersingers von Nüremburg (Wagner); The Rite of Spring(Stravinsky); Nutcracker (Tchaikovski); Faust(Berlioz) and Hansel and Gretel(Humperdink).  His teachers include Alan Mann; Arthur Stender; John Battersby; Gordon Webb and Daniel Mendelow.   Over 28 years with the AOBO, he has worked under such conductors as: John Pritchard; Mark Elder; Stuart Challender; Richard Bonynge; Sir Charles  Mackerras; Phillipe Augin; Richard Hickox; Christopher Hogwood; Willem van Otterloo; Jack Lanchberry; Carlo Felice Cillario; David Wilcox and Simone Young.

As well as time spent with the AOBO, Brian has performed with most major ensembles in Sydney and has also been involved in commercial, jazz and chamber music throughout his 30 year career.  He maintains a studio of 12-16 private students ranging from beginners as young as 6 years of age to “come-back” players in their 70’s.

Brian also studied voice (high lyric tenor) in Sydney with the late Hector P. Tinkler and in Chicago with Professor Norman Gulbrandsen at De Paul University, Chicago.  His vocal experience includes opera, oratorio and concerts in Australia, with Opera Australia; Opera Mode; Contemporary Singers; Sydney Philharmonia; Gosford Philharmonia; and Opera Ensemble and in the United State of America with: Chicago Opera Theatre; Lincoln Opera; The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Chicago and he held the position of Tenor Soloist at Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago. His repertoire ranges widely from the Oratorios of Handel, Bach and Haydn through German lieder and Britten Song Cycles to opera and operetta roles from all eras including Tamino (Magic Flute); Marco (The Gondoliers); The Magician (The Consul) and Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia).

Brian is a Director of the ITG and founding President of the Australian Trumpet Guild.

George Graham

George Graham, Hollywood studio and freelance trumpet player is one of the most diverse musicians in the music business today. George has spent the last 40 years working in virtually every facet of the entertainment business, including movies, television, recordings and live performances. He has also, throughout the years, been an active instructor and clinician. Recently George has gone to the next level and established himself as a solo performer, both in concert and recording. Although born in Chicago, George Graham grew up in the Los Angeles area ---at a time when the world's best musical talent was flocking to "Hollywood" ---and talented children were surrounded by great performers and teachers to study with and to emulate.

His youth was spent playing trumpet with school bands and orchestras, as well as the prestigious Youth Symphonies of the area. Following graduation from high school, he spent 3 1/2 years with Air Force Bands around the world, and while in the Philippines, he was ranked #2 in the Philippine Jazz Poll. After his discharge, he finished his education at Los Angeles Valley College, studying music composition and performance under the tutelage of Bob MacDonald, appearing with the College Jazz Band at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and performing around the L.A. area with combos and Jazz groups.

George then joined the Si Zentner Band, traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada. During this time, the orchestra performed at Carnegie Hall and for the NARAS Awards, where the band won a Grammy for its recording of "Up a Lazy River." In 1963 he settled in Reno, Nevada, and spent the next 15 years performing in the clubs and showrooms of the Reno/Tahoe area, working with virtually every performer in the business, and traveling with such stars as Anthony Newley and Dionne Warwick as their 1st trumpet player.

He returned to Los Angeles in 1980, and since then has established himself among the top studio musicians. Along with his schedule of TV and movie sessions, George also performs and records with many artists and bands.....i.e., Bob Florence, Tom Kubis, Gerald Wilson, Ray Anthony, Louis Bellson, Benny Carter, B.B. King, Diane Shuur, Rosemary Clooney, and the late Frank Sinatra.

Throughout the years, George has particularly enjoyed participating in major events, such as the 1984 Olympics (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), Liberty Week-end (in New York), The 200th Anniversary of the Signing of the Constitution of the United States (in Philadelphia), and annual award shows such as the Essence Awards,The Teachers Awards, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz "Celebration of America's Music" at the Kennedy Center, as well as the Oscars and the Emmys. In 1999 George was a featured soloist for the sound track of the film "The Thomas Crown Affair."

George can be heard on 2 Grammy winning CDs, first with Diana Krall under the baton of Johnny Mandel, and also with Bob Florence and The Limited Edition on Serendipity 18. George continues to work on his own projects. His current release on the Pippo Avenue label is titled "With More Help From My Friends."

Since 1990 he has turned his attention more and more toward the educational field, believing that the future of music lies with the young and increasingly talented students in today's institutions. Acknowledging that the music business has been kind to him, George feels that "It's time to give some back."

"In this day the character of the music business has changed greatly. Where previous emphasis was placed on Music, The Art Form, it has now become Music, The Business. "

Even though the complexion of the beast has changed, the nature remains the same. The simple truth is that the basic skills that were required to operate the musical instruments have never changed, and continue to be of supreme importance. Also important, is the ability of the student to recognize and emulate the myriad variety of styles necessary to perform all the various kinds of music as authentically as possible.

"It is not my contention that acquiring these skills is essential to all students, as most will not follow the music "business" path to the ultimate end. But even the non-professional will find of great benefit the ability to perform many different styles, not to mention the increased enjoyment as a listener. After all, being involved in any phase of music does enhance the quality of life."

Jouko Harjanne

Jouko Harjanne began studying the trumpet as a 7-year-old, and four years later he became a pupil of Raimo Sarmas. In 1982, Harjanne passed his diploma work with the highest possible grade. He then continued his studies under the direction of two international specialists, Henri Adelbrecht and Timofei Dokshitser.

Between 1978 and 1984, Harjanne was alternate lead trumpeter with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra; since 1984 he has been a solo trumpeter with the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Helsinki. Harjanne has played chamber music in many brass and chamber ensembles, including the Finnish Brass Ensemble, the Brasstime Quartet and the Finnish Chamber Orchestra.

Jouko Harjanne's international career has been enhanced by many competition successes, the most important being second place in the Prague Spring Trumpet Series in 1987, and first place in the Ellsworth Smith Trumpet Competition, organised by the International Trumpet Guild in 1990. In l989 he was presented with the Brass Player of the Year award at the Lieksa Brass Week, Finland's most important brass event. Harjanne is now the artistic director of the festival. He has also been much in demand as a player in international brass events. Harjanne's solo performances abroad have extended as far as Russia and the USA, as well as Scandinavia and other parts of Europe.

Harjanne's career received an additional boost by his performing and recording in England with soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in December l994, and by his performance, to great success, of Rodion Schedrin's new trumpet concerto in Moscow in autumn 1995.

Harjanne has made numerous solo recordings, and he also has an exclusive contract with Finlandia Records to produce more high quality trumpet recordings in the future. In addition to recording the standard repertoire, Harjanne has gained a reputation for the recording of what are considered the trumpet's most difficult works (e.g. the Zimmermann, Gruner, Linkola and Jolivet concertos). In addition to his recordings, he has performed in numerous productions for radio and TV.

Harjanne has justifiably elevated the status of his instrument as a versatile solo instrument by playing in his recitals and recordings works extending from the gems of classical music to the extremes of the contemporary. Harjanne has successfully premiered several Finnish and international works for the trumpet. Many composers have also dedicated works to him. His solo performances and recordings have been conducted by many internationally renowned conductors, including Baumgartner, Kamu, Kadhize, Miller, Panula, Salonen, Saraste and Segerstam.

At the age of 26, Jouko Harjanne began teaching at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki; he has also held a number of master classes in Finland and abroad.

Harjanne has been characterised as one of the greatest talents of his generation. The professional music press has ranked Harjanne among the elite class of international soloists. As the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Journal wrote in September 1991: "Jouko Harjanne's concert was really astonishing! It would have been astonishing enough that both parts of the programme were of equal length. But while the first half was dominated by tone and phrasing, the latter part was a truly grandiloquent masterpiece of tonal breadth and stamina."

John Henes

 John Henes is a musician, a performer and a master teacher. He has taught the Alexander Technique both privately and in workshops for more than 20 years, and he is certified by the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique in London, England.

 It was chronic back pain that brought John to the Technique as a student; it was the improvement in his own health and well-being that inspired him to be a teacher.

 In addition to his positions teaching the Alexander Technique at the music schools of Northwestern and DePaul Universities, John has also had an extensive career in trumpet performance, most recently as a member of the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra.

 Many of John's Alexander students are members of major symphony orchestras around the world, including the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic.

 He is also a licensed soccer coach and has coached youth soccer for more than 16 years.

 John has taught the Alexander Technique extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, and is available for clinics, master classes, workplace seminars, occupational workshops and private teaching.

David Hickman

David Hickman is considered one of the world’s pre-eminent trumpet  virtuosos and has appeared with over 400 orchestras worldwide. His tours have taken him to Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Nova Scotia, Austria , Canada, Mexico, and virtually every major American city.

Hickman has released over a dozen solo albums encompassing a wide variety of repertoire – from J.S. Bach’s difficult Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 to Michael Conway Baker’s virtuosic Summit Concerto, and from cornet solos of Herbert L. Clarke to Norman Dello Joio’s Trumpet Sonata.

As a noted clinician and author, David Hickman, has presented workshops on over 300 major university campuses and regularly teaches at the Banff Centre for the Arts and the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute. He taught at the University of Illinois for eight years before moving to Tempe, Arizona in 1982 where he is currently a Regents’ Professor of Music at Arizona State University. He has published over forty articles and ten music texts including Music Speed Reading, a sight reading method used by hundreds of university and conservatory classes as well as numerous public school systems.

David Hickman id founder and president of the acclaimed Summit Brass and is past president of the International Trumpet Guild. He has performed with the Saint Louis Brass Quintet, Illinois Brass Quintet, Contemporary Chamber Players, and the Baroque Consort. In addition, he has been a featured faculty artist at the National Trumpet Symposium, International Trumpet Guild Conference, Bremen Trumpet Days, Keystone Brass Institute, and many national music conventions. Mr. Hickman is a Yamaha Artist.

Scott Johnston

Scott Johnston is Professor of Trumpet at The University of Akron and also performs as Principal Trumpet with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Paragon Brass Quintet. Mr. Johnston has performed with the Madison Symphony, the Columbus Symphony, the Grand Teton Festival, and as an extra with The Cleveland Orchestra. He has performed on four recital tours in China - one as a soloist and the other three with the Paragon Brass Quintet.

His primary teachers were Donald Whitaker, Richard Burkart, and Vincent Cichowicz. For twelve summers he served as Principal Trumpet and Brass Coordinator for the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria.

In May 1993 he served as the Host for the 1993 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Akron, OH. Since that time he has helped ITG hosts in his capacity as ITG Conference Coordinator.

Jack C. Laumer

Professor of Trumpet at Southwest Texas State University, Laumer completed an undergraduate degree in music education at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, where he was a finalist in the young artist's competition of the Minnesota Orchestra.  He received a Master of Music degree at Manhattan School of Music in New York City.  While in New York, he played co-principal in the National Orchestral Association Orchestra, National Orchestral Association Brass Quintet, and was first trumpet and soloist with the Goldman Band.  He studied trumpet with Ron Hasselmann of the Minnesota Orchestra, Cecil Collins of the Manhattan School of Music, and William Vacchiano of the New York Philharmonic.  After conducting band, orchestra, and jazz band at Manchester College in Indiana for four years, and playing with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Laumer arrived in Texas in 1977.  This is his 26th season with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, where he is currently associate principal trumpet. He is also a member of the opera and ballet orchestras.  Since 1999, Laumer has been performing on baroque trumpet with the Texas Early Music Project, the Texas Bach Choir, the Southwest Baroque Ensemble and the University of Texas Early Music Ensemble. He has performed as principal on most of these performances. He has studied baroque trumpet with Leonard Candelaria, Edward Tarr and Niklas Eklund.

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis has been in the Los Angeles area since 1981, living in the Northridge area with his wife, Elsa, and their five children. Jon moved to Los Angeles after completing his Music degree at the University of Kansas, in Lawrence. He grew up in the Washington D.C. area, in Falls Church, VA. Jon is active in the Los Angeles music scene in both the

recording and live music arenas. He can be heard on over 300 movie soundtracks such as the recent movies: X-Men II, Anger Management, Catch Me if You Can, Willard, Matrix Reloaded, Almighty Bruce, The Hulk, Finding Nemo,  and Terminator III. Jon has played on over 500 television shows, and can be heard regularly on the JAG and Star Trek

television shows. Jon's trumpet can be heard on the CD recordings of such artists as Amy Grant, KD Lang, Puff Daddy, Mariah Carey, Graciela Palafox and Bruce Lofgren. In addition to playing regularly with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra as Co-Principal Trumpet and in the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra, Jon also plays with many of the other area orchestras like the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pasadena Symphony,

the Long Beach Symphony, the Pacific Symphony and the New West Symphony. Jon is a charter member of the Chatsworth Brass Quintet and a regular member of the Bruce Lofgren Big Band, a Jazz-Rock-Fusion group, playing Lead Trumpet. Jon's trumpet teachers have included: Jimmy Stamp, Tony Plog, Tom Stevens, Roger Stoner, Pat Mastroleo, Bob Findley and Bobby Shew. Jon teaches trumpet at Pepperdine University, in Malibu, CA. Jon's website address is:  http://www.JonLewis.net

Jens Lindemann

As both an individual soloist and former trumpeter with the world-renowned Canadian Brass for five years, Jens Lindemann has achieved a critically acclaimed career as an international virtuoso. From the New York Philharmonic to the Great Wall of China; from the Berlin Philharmonic to Tokyo’s Suntory Hall; from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to a Grammy nomination and an honorary doctorate; to being heralded as ‘the official trumpeter for the NHL Stanley Cup finals’, Jens Lindemann has performed every style of music and entertained every audience imaginable. He has won first prizes in the most important classical trumpet competitions in the world, made numerous television and film appearances and performed at London's 'Last Night of the Proms' for over 40,000 people.

Jens' proven ability to perform as a diverse artist places him at the front of a new generation of musicians.  Classically trained at The Juilliard School, he has also performed and recorded pop and jazz styles extensively.  A prodigious talent, Jens performed as a soloist with orchestras and won accolades at numerous jazz festivals while still in his teens.  Since then he has performed with conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Gerard Schwarz and Jukka-Pekka Saraste and many orchestras including Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, New York (Brass), Seattle, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Rotterdam, Seoul, Warsaw, Welsh Chamber, Buenos Aires Chamber, I Virtuoso di Roma, and Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center. 

A prizewinner at numerous competitions including the prestigious ARD in Munich, Jens also placed first, by unanimous juries, at both the Prague and Ellsworth Smith (Florida) International Trumpet Competitions in 1992.  In 1998, to rave reviews, he gave the North American premiere of the Bernd Alois Zimmermann Concerto, a major European work which pays homage to American jazz, with the Toronto Symphony.  Jens has recorded extensively for BMG records, the C.B.C., and the B.B.C.  He holds degrees from McGill University and Juilliard and has also served on the faculties of the Santa Barbara Music Academy of the West, University of Toronto and the Banff Centre for the Arts. In 2001, along with his active solo career, Jens was also appointed 'Professor with Distinction' at UCLA in Los Angeles.  He also has an active internet site at www.trumpetsolo.com.

Del Lyren

Dr. Lyren currently serves as Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota. He recently presented a lecture on Rafael Méndez and performed a recital at the Euro-ITG conferences in Bad Säckingen, Germany. and Kiev, Ukraine. At the 1998 ITG conference in Lexington, Kentucky, Dr. Lyren served on a panel discussion on ITG Affiliate Chapters. Dr. Lyren has performed with numerous orchestras throughout the United States, including the Phoenix Symphony, Phoenix Pops, Acadiana Symphony, Lake Charles Symphony, Rapides Symphony, Mesa Symphony, and Sun Cities Symphony. After receiving his Doctor of Music Arts and Master of Music degrees from Arizona State University, Lyren’s biography of Rafael Méndez, Magnificent Méndez, was published by Summit Books. Dr. Lyren has been an active member of the International Trumpet Guild. He serves on the Executive Staff of ITG as the Membership Development and Retention. Dr. Lyren has been an active member of the International Trumpet Guild. He serves on the Executive Staff of ITG as the Membership Development and Retention Coordinator. He was the 1997 ITG Composition Contest Chair, and has twice served as a judge for the ITG Solo Competition. Dr. Lyren is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Ibrahim Maalouf

Ibrahim Maalouf was born in Beirut, Lebanon, Dec. 5, 1980, but soon moved to more peaceful Paris, France, where he spent his childhood and received his training as a trumpeter. His first teacher was his father, Nassim Maalouf, a former student of Maurice André, and also the inventor of the quarter-tone trumpet (with a fourth valve) designed for performing Lebanese ethnic music as well as classical music.

At age 17 Ibrahim started his studies with Gérard Boulanger and Guy Touvron at the Paris Regional Conservatory. In 1999 and 2000, he won two national trumpet competitions, and the jury of the Paris Regional Conservatory unanimously awarded him 1st prize in 2000. At age 19 he joined the class of Antoine Curé at the French National Conservatory, Paris. Maalouf was unanimously awarded 1st prize of the European Interpretation Competition in Moulins, France, March 2001. He is currently Lauréat of the French Cziffra Foundation and of FMAJI (Festival of Young Musicians).

Ibrahim also runs his own band performing his own compositions, which reflect his Lebanese influence in a jazz style. "It's a kind of jungle of music where the musical expression is much more important than technique!" says Ibrahim enthusiastically.

Rob Roy McGregor

Rob Roy McGregor’s principal teacher was Clifford Lillya in Ann Arbor, Michigan (1961-1967). McGregor was a member of the West Point Band (1967- 1970) and assistant principal trumpet of the Baltimore Symphony (1970-1981) before joining the trumpet section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1981. In 1991 he formed Balquhidder Music, a publishing company, which specializes in pedagogical and ensemble works for trumpet and other brass instruments. Carl Fischer Music, Inc., New York, exclusively distributes these works.

Michael Mekna

Michael Meckna, Professor and Division Chair of Music History and Musicology at Texas Christian University, received his PhD from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1984.  He is the author of three books, including Twentieth-Century Brass Soloists (Greenwood, 1994), over two dozen articles, and entries in eight music encyclopedias.  Dr. Meckna also edits the Greenwood Press Celebrated Musicians series, for which he is writing a book about Louis Armstrong.  In what seems to him almost like a previous incarnation, Mike was once a student of Lester Remsen and a teacher of Tony Plog.

Carole Nowicke

Carole Nowicke, a former junior high second cornet player, is Historian of the International Tuba-Euphonium Association (ITEA) She studied tuba with J. Lesley Varner, Robert L. Whaley and Robert J. Pallansch, bass with Philip Albright and Marshall L. Hutchinson, and ophicleide with Robert E. Eliason.. She plays Eb tuba in the Bloomington (Indiana) Brass Band, and alto horn and ophicleide when given the chance--including appearances with Dr. Henry M. Meredith's "Queen's Quadrille and Quickstep Society Orchestra."  She is employed by the Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University as reference librarian and research associate. Her previous employers include the Henry Ford Museum, US Marine Corps Museum, and the Navy Laboratories Archives. She holds a PhD from Indiana University, an MLS from the University of Maryland, and a BA from Western Michigan University. At Western Michigan University, she became "acquainted" with Walter F. Smith through his family's personal papers collection, later worked with some of his papers and photographs at the Marine Corps Museum, and even used the Smith papers in her dissertation on the Schoolcraft, Michigan, Ladies' Library Association.  She has spent the past two years conducting over 30 oral histories with tuba and euphonium players as part of the ITEA Oral History Project.

Dale Olson

Rex Richardson

Trumpeter and Yamaha Artist Rex Richardson has enjoyed a broad and diverse career as a performer and educator, appearing in solo, chamber, and jazz contexts across North America, Europe and Asia.  He recently began duties as professor of trumpet and jazz trumpet at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He is in his eighth year as a member of the acclaimed Rhythm & Brass, a sextet with a reputation as one of the finest brass/percussion ensembles in North America. Rhythm & Brass has appeared on television (BET Jazz) and radio (NPR's Performance Today), released five recordings, been featured at international conferences and competitions, and received accolades from such publications as the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and DownBeat.  They also appeared as “headliner” performers at the 1995 and 1999 ITG Conferences.

In addition to his duties with Rhythm& Brass, Rex continues to perform as a member of the solo cornet section and as a soloist with the internationally-assembled Brass Band of Battle Creek; toured as a member of the late jazz legend Joe Henderson's quintet and sextet in 1997-98; and twice toured Europe as a soloist with William Russo's Chicago Jazz Ensemble. He has also appeared as a guest artist with dozens of orchestras and other ensembles throughout the world, including those of Osaka, Tokyo, Phoenix, Oregon, New Jersey, Rochester, Syracuse, Tucson, Omaha, Grand Rapids (MI), Accadiana, and Youngstown; as well as the US Navy Band and Orchestra in Washington, D.C.  Rex presented clinics on crossover trumpet playing at the 2002 Midwest Clinic and the 2003 National Trumpet Competition.

In recent years, Rex has become increasingly active as a solo artist and recitalist. He has gained a reputation for unusual versatility, specializing in piccolo trumpet literature as well as championing new music and jazz.  His recent concerto performances range from Bach’s 2^nd Brandenburg Concerto to Jolivet’s Concerto No. 2, to Husa’s Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Orchestra. He recently traveled to Greece to appear as a soloist with the City of Athens Big Band and as a recitalist and clinician at the University of Thessalonica-Macedonia.  Upcoming engagements include concerto appearances with the Chang-zhou Symphony Orchestra in China and with the Omaha Symphony. His support of new music is demonstrated by a recent solo recital made possible by the invitation and sponsorship of the National Association of Composers, USA, and his newest recording project, comprised entirely of world premieres and scheduled for a May 2003 release.

Rex was honored in the 1995 DownBeat International Critics Poll as one of nine jazz trumpeters in the category “talent deserving recognition.”  He holds degrees in anthropology and music from Northwestern University and Louisiana State University.

Chase Sanborn

Air Force Band of the West

The United States Air Force Band of the West is a musical organization with an outstanding record of achievement. The airmen assigned to the band are highly trained professional musicians who have dedicated themselves to serving their country  through music

The USAF Band of the West has a long lineage in the United States Air Force. The band was created on October 1^st, 1941 at Moffett Field, California and moved to Enid Army Airfield soon after. Ith the birth of the United States Air Force in1947, the band moved to what eventually became Lackland Air Force Base. The band was inactivated in 1955 but reactivated in 1959. The title “Band of the West” was used for years until May 1^st, 1997 when it was granted official status.

The USAF Band of the West travels more than 125,000 miles annually and provides over 500 performances to military and civilian audiences throughout Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana. The band has been an integral part of the music scene in the Southwest for the last 54 years. The organization is made up of ensembles such as the Concert Band, Ceremonial/Marching Band, Dimensions in Blue Jazz Ensemble, and Top Flight popular music group. Satellite groups within the unit include Top Brass brass quintet, Southwest Winds woodwind quintet, protocol combos, and a recently revived, authentic Dixieland jazz band. This diversity, along with it’s high level of talent, enables the USAF Band of the West to perform practically any style of music from classical to country, from marches to mambos.

In 1999, the USAF Band of the West was awarded its fourth Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Bands. That same year the band received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the sixth time due to it’s exemplary contributions to Air Force recruiting and community relations programs.

The United States Air Force Band of the West has performed for presidents, heads of states, and dignitaries from around the world earning it an outstanding reputation among America’s military bands.

Dallas Wind Symphony

Jerry Junkin, Artistic Director and Conductor

Frederick Fennell, Principal Guest Conductor

The Dallas Wind Symphony, "America's Premier Windband", is the leading professional civilian wind band in the United States today. Comprised of 50 woodwind, brass and percussion players, the band performs an eclectic blend of musical styles ranging from Bach to Bernstein and Sousa to Strauss. They combine the tradition of the British brass band with the musical heritage of the American town band and the pioneering spirit of the 20th century wind ensemble.

The DWS makes its home in one of the world's greatest concert halls, Dallas' Morton H. Meyerson Concert Center, where it provides an annual concert subscription series. They have twelve highly acclaimed CDs on the Reference Recordings label under conductors Howard Dunn, Frederick Fennell and Jerry Junkin. In 1995, recognizing the Dallas Wind Symphony's importance to the community, the City of Dallas granted the windband use of the historic Fair Park Bandshell, both as a venue for summer outdoor concerts and as an administrative office.

Since its debut in 1985, the Dallas Wind Symphony has entertained more than a million people both at home and increasingly, on tour. Among those entertained was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, for whom the DWS gave a command performance in March 1991. Reasons for the popular success of the DWS are many - among them:

• A contemporary sound growing from roots reaching back to the town band, the marching field and the concert stage;
• Cleverly constructed thematic programming;
• Inspired leadership from conductors Jerry Junkin and Frederick Fennell;
• Texas' strong band tradition providing virtuostic players.

The DWS has received outstanding critical acclaim for its ten compact discs on the Reference Recordings label: The Brass and the Band, Fiesta!, Holst, Fennell Favorites, Testament, Trittico, Pomp & Pipes, Beachcomber, Arnold for Band, Holidays and Epiphanies - the Music of Ron Nelson, and Marches I've Missed. Trittico was named Best Classical Album of 1994 by the National Association of Independent Record Distributors and this year Arnold for Band is also nominated for this prestigious award. The DWS has sold over 100,000 copies of their recordings.  In 1998, the DWS founded its own record label, Widget Records, for the release of its first self-produced album, Strictly Sousa.

Jerry F. Junkin

Jerry F. Junkin serves as Director of Bands and the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor of Music at The University of Texas at Austin, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia.  Performances conducted by Professor Junkin have been heard by millions of listeners through radio broadcasts and on compact disc.

Professor Junkin became conductor of The University of Texas Wind Ensemble in the fall of 1988, following an appointment as Director of Bands at the University of South Florida.  He has also served as Assistant Director of Bands at Texas, after which he held a similar position at The University of Michigan.  In addition to his responsibilities as Professor of Music and Conductor and Music Director of the UT Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds, he serves as Head of the Conducting Division and teaches courses in conducting and wind band literature.  He is a recipient of the Texas Excellence in Teaching awards, presented annually by the Ex-Student’s Association.  Additionally, he received the Outstanding Young Texas-Ex Award also from the Ex-Student’s Association in 1996.

Jerry Junkin became Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony in the fall of 1993.  Performances under the direction of Mr. Junkin have won the praise of such notable musicians as John Corigliano, Gunther Schuller, Karel Husa, William Kraft, Jacob Druckman and Michael Colgrass, among others.

Under Mr. Junkin’s leadership the UT Wind Ensemble has performed highly acclaimed concerts before the College Band Director’s National Association (three times), the American Bandmasters Association (twice), the Texas Music Educator’s Association (four times), and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Manchester, England.  Maintaining an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician and lecturer, he has appeared in those capacities in some forty-five states and five continents. 

Mr. Junkin has served as President of the Big 12 Band Director’s Association and is a member of the Board of Directors of the John Philip Sousa Foundation, is President-elect of the American Bandmasters Association, as well as President-elect of the College Band Director’s National Association

Ensemble de Trompettes de Lyon

The Ensemble de Trompettes de Lyon was born in 1989 on the occasion of a New Year Concert in Munich. This group uses absolutely unique instruments throughout the world, about 10 instruments of very different sounds (the piccolo trumpet, theD-trumpet, the B-flat trumpet, the C-trumpet, the cornet, the bugle, the tenor bugle, the B-flat bass trumpet and the C bass trumpet). These instruments allow the group to play works from the repertoire, creations and transcriptions.

The group gives numerous concerts in both France and abroad as part of prestigious festivals: Carcassonnes, Fâneries musicales de Reims, Cahors…

Theatres and arts centers: Paris, Lille, Lyon…

Private and company concerts: Rhône Poulenc, EDF (French National Electricity Company), Savings Bank…

The county council of the Rhône Department was partner of the Ensemble de Trompettes de Lyon for the cultural events in 1998 and 2000.  The Ensemble de Trompettes de Lyon recorded the disk “Cocktail” in 1992 as well as different TV and radio broadcasts for France 2, M6, ZDF, France Musique.

Their creation “Trompe l’oeil”, executed with the complicity of the director Udo Staf, was palyed for the first time in 1997. This collaboration allowed the elaboration of a show, which is a real wandering between music and theatre. This show intended for all types of public has been chosen for the program of Jeunesses Musicales de France.

In November 1999, the Ensemble de Trompettes de Lyon was invited by the soloist Maurice Andre to a concert in common with the basilica Fourvère.

Members of the ensemble include Pierre Ballester, Andre Bonnici, Didier Chaffard, Jean-Luc Richard, Roux Ludovic.

The Company Selmer (manufacturer of instruments) is partner of the Ensemble de Trompettes de Lyon.

Inventions – The Marvin Stamm/Bill Mays Duo

Formally launched in 1999 and based on the East Coast, Inventions combines the talents of two classically trained masters of jazz and improvisation. Trumpeter Marvin Stamm and pianist Bill Mays have spent their careers at the pinnacle of jazz performance, with groups like the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman big bands and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis jazz Orchestra, numerous small ensembles and in the studios of Hollywood and New York. 

Stamm and Mays explore the subtlety and grace of chamber music through the spontaneous interaction of jazz, finding unique combinations of music from classical traditions and jazz that relate strongly to each other.  Performing these works concurrently, the duo illuminates the elements that listeners treasure in both genres, creating and exploring a new kind of chamber music program. With their lifetime of experience, these two musicians also speak to the audience about the art and craft of their music, bringing the listener into the process as a participant, showing what it means to be in both traditions.

Improvisation is the heart of jazz, just as it was a central part of European classical music for centuries. Bach, Mozart and Beethoven all practiced the art and craft of improvisation in public performances and paved the way for every great jazz master to assert a unique voice. As composers Scriabin, Rachmaninoff and Ravel knew, jazz and improvisation allow musical ideas to be heard in an infinite number of ways. The greatest jazz composers, including Ellington, Gershwin and Porter, composed with honesty, creativity and integrity, providing a framework for great performers to express their own ideas.

Have you ever wondered what a conversation between Johann Sebastian Bach and Charlie Parker would be like? We'll never know what they would have said to each other, but we can hear a conversation between them through their music. Trumpeter Stamm and pianist Mays bring new life to these and other composers in Inventions, a program that explores the intersection of classical music and jazz. Inventions is a new perspective on both art forms, and Mr. Stamm and Mr. Mays bring the world of chamber music and jazz side by side in seamless counterpoint.

Marvin Stamm -Trumpet

A native Memphian and graduate of the North Texas Jazz program, Marvin Stamm began his career as trumpet soloist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra (1961-62) and touring later with the Woody Herman Orchestra (1965-66). Upon moving to NYC in late 1966, he gained considerable recognition for his playing with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra (1966-72) and the Duke Pearson Big Band (1967-70) as well as performing with Frank Sinatra (1973-74) and the Benny Goodman Sextet (1974-75.) During the period (1966 - 88), Mr. Stamm also advanced a career performing in the NYC recording studios though since the late 80s, he has eschewed studio work to return and concentrate his efforts on his first love, Jazz.

Currently, Mr. Stamm's activities include performing as a soloist, in duo with pianist Bill Mays or with his jazz quartet in addition appearing as soloist with symphony orchestras. He also continues to tour world wide with select all-star ensembles such as the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band. In addition to his performances and recordings, he has, for many years, invested a good deal his time touring colleges and universities offering his talents as a Jazz educator.

Mr. Stamm released two new CDs on his Marstam label in 2000. The first, a duo CD entitled By Ourselves, documents his long-time collaboration with pianist Bill Mays. The second CD, The Stamm/Soph Project, is a quartet project created with drummer Ed Soph that features bassist Rufus Reid and pianist Bill Mays; saxophonist Dave Liebman also guests on three tracks. November 2001 saw the release of Elegance on the TNC Jazz label, a quartet CD featuring the remarkable young Swedish pianist, Stefan Karlsson, along with bassist Tom Warrington and drummer Eliot Zigmund.

Bill Mays - Piano

Born into a musical family and beginning at the piano at age five, Bill Mays had his first exposure to jazz as a teenager...a solo concert by Earl "Fatha" Hines. Later, discovering the music of Bill Evans, Art Tatum, Horace Silver and Jimmy Rowles, he found himself "hooked" and embarked on his professional career. Since that time, Bill has been the musical director for Sarah Vaughan, accompanied singers Frank Sinatra, Al Jarreau, Mark Murphy and Helen Merrill. Before moving to New York in the mid-80s he spent 12 years as a session player in Hollywood making many records and recording hundreds of TV and movie scores.

As a highly sought-after sideman, Mr. Mays has performed with many of the greats in Jazz among them Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Sonny Stitt, the Mel Lewis Orchestra, Shelly Manne, Benny Golson and many more. Mr. Mays continues to tour extensively throughout the world performing both with his own groups and with others. A prolific composer and arranger, he has contributed music to the recordings of many artists, among them Woody Herman and Phil Woods and has also written classical music for various combinations of chamber groups. Mr. Mays brings a wealth of diversity and experience to his music and never fails to bring the listener along on a journey of great musical beauty.

Bill Mays has thirteen recordings under his own name as well as the new duo recording, By Ourselves, with Marvin Stamm. Among his own recordings are the recent Going Home and Summer Sketches, both on Palmetto Records and Mays in Manhattan, An Ellington Affair, Bill Mays At Maybeck Hall on Concord Records. Besides his busy career as a performing artist, Bill Mays is a prolific composer/arranger and increasingly sought-after educator.

The United States Army Brass Quintet

The U.S. Army Brass Quintet has performed for a wide variety of audiences and

dignitaries in 39 states and 12 foreign countries since its inception in 1972.  An element of The U.S. Army Band (Pershing’s Own) in Washington, D.C., the  Quintet performs at the White House and at such televised national events as presidential inaugurations and official state ceremonies in the nation’s capitol.  The ensemble has been selected repeatedly as the first to honor our new presidents with the traditional “Hail to the Chief” on live national broadcasts.

The Quintet enjoys entertaining nation-wide audiences with its performances on National Public Radio, the CBS Sunday Morning Show, Fox TV, CNN, TNN, “Larry King Live”, as well as international audiences on the BBC.   It has also been chosen to perform on a wide variety of local and regional broadcasts such as WCBS  in New York City and Fox-5 in Washington, DC.

The repertoire for this ensemble includes over 500 selections from all eras and

genres of classical music as well as a variety of popular music,  interactive entertainment selections and works for children’s concerts.  The Quintet’s library also includes historic music from the American Civil War which the ensemble enjoys performing on authentic instruments.   Commissioned works as well as works arranged by the Army Band’s staff complete its repertoire.

The Quintet enjoys an outstanding tradition of supporting national and international educational conferences such as MENC, The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and the brass instrument associations.  The ensemble was the first military group to start the tradition of performing for the instrument associations in 1977 at the International Trumpet Guild Conference.  Now, the Quintet is looking forward to its fifth ITG performance at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth.

Texas Christian University Wind Symphony

The Wind Symphony at Texas Christian University consists of the most select wind and percussion performers in the Band Program at TCU.  The Wind Symphony frequently performs for professional conferences and conventions at the state and national.  This year, the TCU Wind Symphony will be performing at the College Band Directors National Association Conference (CBDNA) in Houston, the Texas Music Educators Association in San Antonio, and will perform the opening concert at the Latin American Music Festival in Fort Worth.  Other recent performances include the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Dallas, and the Music Educators National Convention. This year, the TCU Wind Symphony will be premiering a new composition   by David Maslanka entitled "Testament" and has been members of consortium commissioning projects from composers such as James Syler, Adam Gorb, Joan Tower, Timothy Broege, among others.  The Wind Symphony also makes regional concert tour appearances each year along with its regular performances in Ed Landreth Auditorium on the TCU campus.  It has received praise from numerous composers including Fisher Tull, David Holsinger, Samuel Adler, Dana Wilson, Edward Diemente, Curtis Wilson, Frank Ticheli, Roger Boutry and many others for the interpretation of their works. The Chamber Winds is an ensemble drawn from the membership of the Wind Symphony to perform wind chamber music.

Bobby Francis is the Director of Bands at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.  At TCU, Mr. Francis conducts the University Wind Symphony, teaches conducting and music education courses and he also coordinates the graduate wind conducting program.  He is actively involved in the Horned Frog Marching Band.  Groups under his direction have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, the College Band Director’s National Association Regional Conference in Wichita, Kansas, the Texas Music Educator’s Association Conference in San Antonio (two times), and the CBDNA National Conference in Athens, Georgia.  This year, the TCU Wind Symphony will perform concerts at the Tuba United Brotherhood Association (T.U.B.A.) Regional Conference and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Conference.  Both conferences will be held in Fort Worth.  The TCU Wind Symphony released its first-ever commercially produced and distributed compact disk recording entitled:  “Testament, Music for a Time of Trial”.  Performances have received critical acclaim from composers such as Karel Husa, David Maslank, James Syler, and Eric Ewazon.  Mr. Francis  recently presented clinics at the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Bandmasters Association conferences.  He is music director of Texas “Lone Star” Ambassadors for Music, a performing organization consisting of college and high school students from across Texas.  The group has had four European performance tours (1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002), and will tour Europe again in 2004.

Prior to his appointment at TCU, Mr. Francis held a similar position at Texas A&M University-Commerce where he conducted the Wind Ensemble, taught graduate, undergraduate conducting and music education courses, and directed the TAMU “Pride” Marching Band.  Before that, he was the Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Texas at Arlington.  At UTA, he was the director of the UTA Marching Band, taught music education classes and was the director of the Summer Music Camp program.  He also performed as the clarinetist with the UTA Faculty Woodwind Quintet.

Mr. Francis was a public school band director in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Richardson Independent School Districts for six years.  He continues as an active concert band, marching band clinician and adjudicator throughout the country. 

Tim Zimmerman and the King’s Brass

Tim Zimmerman and the King's Brass provide innovative worship for young and old alike through the "best in sacred brass music." By teaming together, these Christian professionals from around the United States perform their original arrangements as heard on their eight recordings. For more than twenty years, The King's Brass have performed over one hundred concerts each season with three trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, keyboards, and percussion. Playing a wide variety of music from Gabrieli to hymn classics, from Handel to jazz spirituals, from Christmas carols to patriotic marches, The King's Brass uses all corners of the concert hall to lift hearts and spirits in praise.

Tim Zimmerman Director and founder of The King's Brass and a trumpet solo artist, Tim received his graduate degree in trumpet performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been a member of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. For thirteen years, Tim served as Artist-in-Residence and Associate Professor of Music at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. He and his wife, Gina, and their three children live in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, where he assists the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic.

Ventus Musicus