By Gary Mortenson

Arguably the premiere international solo trumpet competition in the world today, the 2006 Concours de trompette Maurice André, took place from November 11 through 19, 2006 in Paris, France. This was the sixth André competition to be held since its inception in 1979. This competition has grown in quality and scope over more than a quarter century.

The Competition

First Round - Conservatoire national de région de Paris CNR 14 rue de Madrid - 75008 Paris
November 11, 12, 13

Repertoire:
1. Raymond Gallois-Montbrun: Sarabande and Finale
2. Either:
Henri Tomasi: Concerto for trumpet, transcription for trumpet and piano (first movement and cadenza) - Leduc

or André Jolivet: Concertino for trumpet, string orchestra and piano, transcription for trumpet and piano (from the beginning up to #24)

or Thierry Escaich: Tanz-Fantaisie, for trumpet in C or B-flat and piano

3. On piccolo trumpet: Georg Philipp Telemann: Concerto in D Major, (first movement: adagio)

A total of 51 competitors from 24 countries made the trip to Paris to compete in the first round of the competition. All of the contestants were required to perform the Montbrun Sarabande and Finale. They were then required to select among three choices as noted above. The Tomasi was the piece of choice for 19 competitors. The Jolivet was the most popular choice with 29, and the Escaich was far and away the least favorite, chosen by just three players. In the first round, four to six competitors took the stage to play their first two

The jury at work during the first round of the competition

selections to form a set. After that was completed they returned (in order) to perform the Telemann on piccolo. This was not an easy round by any means. The music was challenging, requiring accuracy, musicality, control, and endurance. Coming back after the first two selections to play the first movement of the Telemann proved to be a daunting challenge to many of the performers, and made the elimination of some a bit easier by the panel of judges. It was enjoyable to hear and experience some basic differences in the interpretation of the repertoire. It was interesting to hear that many competitors had widely divergent concepts of tone quality, tempo, dynamics, and style. Hearing any set of pieces performed by 51 musicians is tedious, but these differences helped make the round a bit more palatable over its three-day duration.

Throughout the entire competition there was one constant after performers completed their playing in each round, and that was a robust “Merci!” shouted down to them from the judges table by the Competition Chair, Monsieur André. It was interesting to see how the competitors reacted to André's personal thanks for their playing and participation in the competition. One other consistency that must be mentioned was the high level of professionalism, preparation, and artistry displayed by the collaborative pianists who assisted the competitors. At the end of the first round they were asked to come to the stage so that their contribution could be recognized.

Second Round - Conservatoire national de région de Paris
November 15, 16

Repertoire:

1. Leopold Mozart: Concerto in D-major, transcription for trumpet and piano - Billaudot
2. Either:
Alfred Desenclos: Incantation, Thrène et Danse for trumpet and piano (excerpts: Incantation, Thrène, and cadenza of the third movement)

or Robert Planel: Concerto for trumpet and string orchestra , transcription for trumpet and piano (first and second movements) - Transatlantiques

or Nicolas Bacri Concerto n°2, op.65, Im Angedenken Johann Sebastian Bachs, transcription for trumpet and piano (first movement) new piece set at the 2000 Maurice André Competition

The second round saw eighteen performers advance. In this round all were required to perform the Leopold Mozart selection on piccolo trumpet. The other piece was drawn from three choices. The Desenclos was the most popular with eleven performances, next was the Planel drawing six. Only one competitor (Saunier from France) chose the Bacri as his piece of choice. One striking aspect of this round was the sharp contrast perceived by this listener in each of the three choices for the second piece. The Planel is a light-hearted, joyous work that proved to be delightful to listen to over several repetitions. The Desenclos is an intense work requiring more dynamic contrast and greater demands on both endurance (especially in the cadenza) and on pitch recognition. The Bacri, with only one performance, was quite brief by comparison to the other two, and was difficult to compare

Konradin Groth and James Watson talk to competitors after the second round

with either of them in any significant way. Trying to weigh in on the comparative qualities of the selections probably proved to be one of the most difficult challenges faced by the jury during this round. Among the many fine performances in the second round, the following were notable: Esteban Batallán Cons for his power and presence in the Desenclos; Joerge Becker for his beautiful tone and control in the Mozart; Philip Cobb for his taste and control at the soft end of the spectrum in the Mozart, and for his precision, control, and musical nuance in the Planel; Henry Deléger for his control and technique in the Desenclos; Pierre Désolé for his elegance, energy, and enthusiasm in the Mozart and for his cadenza in the Desenclos; Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares for his outstanding control and strength in the Mozart and his power and determination in the Desenclos; Vedran Kocelj for his great phrasing and power in the Desenclos; Timour Martynov for his power and control in the Desenclos; Enrico Negro, for his sensitive, controlled performance of the Mozart; Antonio Sérgeo Pacheco for his precision and sensitivity on the Planel; Flávio Gabriel Parro Da Silva for his impeccable taste in the Mozart and his warmth on the Planel; Tomonori Sato for his ornamentation on the Mozart; Clément Saunier for his exceptional control and tone quality on the Mozart and for his amazing clarity on the Bacri; and finally Rubén Simeó Gijon for his slow (but brave) tempo on the opening of the Mozart and his intensity of power, control, and endurance on the Desenclos.

Three of the four who advanced to the finals performed the Desenclos and the other played the Bacri, a piece that can best be described as rhythmically virtuosic…no one playing the Planel went further in the competition. The Desenclos did indeed make the greatest demands on the performers. It tested every aspect of one's development on trumpet, including low, high, loud, soft, lyrical, technical, and sensitive playing. Perhaps this piece required so much more of the extremes associated with the trumpet and in so doing created a better vehicle to see what contestants were capable of saying through their instruments. Before concluding discussion of the second round it should be noted that once again the collaborative pianists performing on this round were outstanding in their professionalism and attention to detail and that the Conservatoire national de région de Paris provided an excellent hall and support for the first two rounds. Attendance and enthusiasm for both rounds was strong.

As in the first round, the jury did not require a long period of time to decide on the finalists. After just over 30 minutes of deliberation, they came out on stage and the announcement was made as to who the four finalists would be to advance to the finals. They were: Esteban Batallán Cons, Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares, Rubén Simeó Gijon, and Clément Saunier. The finalists had one day to rehearse the two pieces with orchestra for the finals…one last grueling test to complete the full requirements of the competition.

Second round winners and their accompanists L - R: Rubén Simeó Gijon, Véronique Goudin, Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares, Esteban Batallán Cons, Clément Saunier, Jan Kingdom

Final Round - Salle Gaveau
45 ruede la Boëtie - 75008 Paris
November 18

Salle Gaveau site of the Concours de trompette Maurice André finals and closing concert

Repertoire:

1. Salvador Chuliá Hernández: Fantasía Concertante, composed for the 2006 Maurice André Competition. Commissioned by musique nouvelle en liberté - Ville de Paris

2. Joseph Haydn: Concerto in E flat major, free cadenza

With the Ensemble orchestral de Paris conducted by Kirill Karabits acting as the accompaniment, four finalists performed two pieces before a large and receptive audience in Salle Gaveau, a recently remodeled and aesthetically pleasing hall just one metro station

1st Prize winner Flores Colmenares after performing the Hernández Fantasía Concertante

away from the CNR, the site of the first two rounds. It should be stated up front that the accompaniment and direction provided by the Ensemble orchestral de Paris and by Maestro Karabits was at a high professional level throughout the finals competition. The finalists performed in the following order: 1) Rubén Simeó Gijon, 2) Esteban Batallán Cons, 3) Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares, and 4) Clément Saunier. The afternoon began with all four performances of the Haydn, followed by an intermission. For the second half all four returned (in order) to play the competition's commissioned work by Salvador Chuliá Hernández titled Fantasia Concertante. This new work for trumpet and orchestra shared a common thread with every other piece selected for the competition in that it required a sense of virtuosity and command from the performers. In a distinctly Spanish flavor, the piece was well crafted to create a distinctive interplay between the soloist and the orchestral accompaniment. Under the leadership of Kirill Karabits, the Ensemble orchestral de Paris did an exceptional job of interpreting the work by accounting for the slight variations in the interpretations of each of the finalists. The orchestra was clean, responsive, and consistent throughout the four renderings of the Hernández commission.

Composer Salvador Chuliá Hernández acknowledges applause for Fantasía Concertante

At fourteen years of age, Rubén Simeó Gijon was the youngest competitor at the entire competition (youngest by six years!). Throughout the competition he displayed a remarkable maturity. At the finals, his Haydn was rhythmically precise, his sound was clear, and his command of range and articulation was close to perfection. On the Hernández his multiple tonguing, accuracy, endurance, and bravura playing was brilliant. One area that Gijon will no doubt improve upon in the years ahead is in the area of stage presence. Being so young, it is certainly understandable that he appeared a bit overwhelmed by his surroundings, but this will surely improve with experience. From a musical standpoint, everything that he did was quite simply a decade or more beyond what his chronological age would suggest. He is truly a remarkable talent with the brightest of futures.

Throughout the first two rounds, Esteban Batallán Cons brought a sense of power and virility to his interpretations of the repertoire. In the finals, his Haydn contrasted his early round playing, proving that he can also play with delicacy, precision, and in an appropriate classical style. His aggressive qualities returned in the Hernández as he truly went after this work with energy and gusto. He employed circular breathing to sustain the longer melodic lines in the slow section, and for the upper-register demands of the ending many of the trumpet players in the audience might have noticed that he switched mouthpieces to give himself that little extra push for the greatest impact. Whether you agree with this sort of switch or not, for him it worked as he had the strongest ending of the four!

Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares has a quality about his playing and person that is electric. When he starts to play you know that you are hearing a command that is rare and a presence that assumes control of the music. His Haydn featured a cadenza in the first movement that was extended, stylistically appropriate, and displayed great control and technique (I would like to hear it repeatedly to fully absorb all of its nuance). He went on to complete the work with uncommon response and precision, and had superb endurance, always appearing to draw on a great reserve so that his playing was always refined and in control. His Hernández performance provided a bit of drama to the finals. After Flores Colmenares' first entrance he appeared to have a problem with his jaw. He opened his mouth and moved his lower jaw in a fashion that to this reporter seemed as though he was trying to adjust it back into place after it might have slipped slightly. In a circumstance like this, one worried that what was happening might jeopardize the quality of the challenging playing that remained. Flores Colmenares must have incredible personal reserves because he continued on, unaffected in the least! The rest of his playing can be characterized as incredibly accurate, strong, fluid, and refined. In short, Señor Flores Colmenares did everything humanly possible to win this competition, including overcoming a little adversity right on stage to gain the admiration and respect of all in attendance. Bravo!

The only finalist from the host country of France was Clément Saunier. In all of the rounds and through his performance in the finals, one could not help but be impressed with the accuracy and elegance of this fine performer. His Haydn was no exception as it featured a refined, compact sound and the slowest of the middle movements of the four interpretations. Saunier's approach to the Hernández was extremely intelligent, as he stayed within his strengths to give himself the best possible chance for success. He played with admirable precision, great musicality, and was always under control. This wonderful musician received a very warm response from the audience, many of whom must have been familiar with his playing since Paris is his home. The orchestra and conductor were also very responsive to his playing and interpretation. All of this support was deserved, as Saunier is an excellent example of all that is great about the rich tradition of solo brass playing indigenous to France in general and to Paris specifically. After the conclusion of the finals performance the jury secluded themselves to deliberate. Just as was the case in the first and second rounds, their deliberations were not lengthy, indicating their ability to achieve a fairly quick consensus among the panel. This is ideal as it indicated that very little discussion/negotiation was required to come to a clear decision.

The results were announced as follows:

1st Prize (12000 Euros):
Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares
25 years old
Venezuela

2nd Prize (8000 Euros):
Rubén Simeó Gijon
14 years old
Spain

3rd Prize (4500 Euros):
Clément Saunier
27 years old
France

4th Prize (3000 Euros):
Esteban Batallán Cons
22 years old
Spain

Prize for most notable newcomer (2000 Euros):
Philip Cobb
19 Years Old
United Kingdom

Prize for best interpretation of the Hernández Commission (1500 Euros):
Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares

Prize for the best sonority (1500 Euros):
Pierre Désolé
19 Years Old
France

Special Mention:
Enrico Negro
26 Years Old
Italy

Prize Winners Ceremony and Concert - Salle Gaveau

1st row (sitting)Pierre Désolé, Esteban Batallán Cons, Clément Saunier, Rubén Simeó Gijon, Francisco Alberto Flores Colmenares, Maurice André 2nd row (standing)James Watson, Jouko Harjanne, Konradin Groth, Salvador Chuliá Hernández, Thierry Caens, Eric Aubier Not pictured from the jury: Vincente Campos and Gabriele Cassone

The culminating event of the Concours de trompette Maurice André took place at Salle Gaveau on November 19th and featured four performers who distinguished themselves during the competition. Prior to the concert was the presentation of the awards. This was done with the members of the jury seated on the stage. It is no small task to sit on the jury of an international competition. Hearing more than fifty competitors in the first round alone can be a daunting and thankless task. This group of international artist/educators from the trumpet world was of the highest order, lending a sense of credibility and integrity to the entire event. The jury consisted of the following: Maurice André (France) Chair, Eric Aubier (France), Thierry Caens (France), Vicente Campos (Spain), Gabriele Cassone (Italy), Salvador Chuliá Hernández (Spain), Konradin Groth (Germany), Jouko Harjanne (Finland), and James Watson (United Kingdom). Medals and certificates were presented to the winners. This portion of the afternoon concluded with comments from Maurice André and competition officials.

1st row: Liliane and Maurice André 2nd row (standing up) L - R: Nicolas André and members of the competition staff: Eric de Gélis - technical manager, Clotilde Turpin - administrator, Eliza Després - competition announcer, Laurence Langou - communication manager, Diane de Roquemaurel - production manager Not pictured: Claude Samuel - President of the Competition.

Competition Participants (advancing competitors noted in parentheses)

• Adler, John - United States
• Arsic, Aleksandar - Serbia
• Batallán Cons, Esteban - Spain (II, Finals, Fourth Prize)
• Beaulac, Stéphane - Canada
• Becker, Joerge - Germany (II)
• Blair, Alan - United Kingdom
• Bodurov, Neyko - Bulgaria
• Brum, Fabio - Brazil
• Cobb, Philip - United Kingdom (II, Awarded Most Notable Newcomer)
• Deléger, Henri - France (II)
• Desbruslais, Simon - United Kingdom
• Désolé, Pierre - France (II, Awarded Best Sound)
• Doyon, Robin - Canada (II)
• Flores Colmenares, Francisco Alberto - Venezuela (II, Finals, First Prize, Best Interpretation of Hernández Commission)
• Fuller, Gemma - United Kingdom
• González-Gómez Juan Luis, Mexico
• Gorkusa, Gatis - Latvia
• Gothszalk, Lukasz - Poland
• de Gruchy-Lambert, Daniel - United Kingdom
• Hara, Fruzsina - Hungary
• Ho Chung-Mom - Taiwan
• Ivarsson, Per - Sweden
• Kocelj, Vedran - Croatia (II)
• Kosovski, Stojance - Republique of Macedonia
• Krenz, Oliver - Germany
• Laenen, Joris - Belgium
• Leleu, Romain - France (II)
• Macaluso, Pierre - France
• Marqués Guardia, Eloy - Spain
• Martynov, Timour - Russia (II)
• Moreno Martinez, Juan - Spain
• Negro, Enrico - Italy (II, Special Mention)
• Ots, Aarne - Estonia
• Pacheco, Antonio Sérgio - France (II)
• Paravagna, Paolo Amedeo - Italy
• Parro Da Silva, Flávio Gabriel - Brazil (II)
• Paziot, Cyril - France
• Pepping, Amanda - United States
• Philpott, Sebastian - United Kingdom
• Sakuragi, Atsuko - Japan
• Sanchez Moreno, Gaudy Jose - Venezuela (II)
• Sato, Tomonori - Japan (II)
• Saunier, Clément - France (II, Finals, Third Prize)
• Schüttel, Laurent - Switzerland
• Seddon, Christopher - United Kingdom
• Sieg, Colin - United States
• Simeó Gijon, Rubén - Spain (II, Finals, Second Prize)
• Soldatov, Kirill - Russia
• Szalkay, David - Hungary
• Tóth, Balàzs - Hungary
• Wosniak, Tomasz - Poland (II)

A note on musical support
No competition can run at a high level without exceptional support from collaborative artists. The pianists for the competition were of the highest quality throughout. They are listed here with notations on their participation in the various rounds.

• Kanako Abe Campo (I)
• Laetitia Bougnol (I, II)
• Tracy Cowden (I)
• Véronique Goudin (I, II, Winners Recital)
• Nobue Ito (I, II)
• Jan Kingdom (I, II, Winners Recital)
• Matthias Lecomte (I, II)
• Petra Menzel-Wipfler (I, II)
• Pedro Mercado (I, II)
• Stefania Obialero (I, II)
• Eriko Takazawa-Sischka (I)

Past Competition Award Winners

1979
1st Prize - Stacy Blair, United States
Brass Ensemble Award - Renaissance Quintet, Hungary

1988
1st Prize - Stephen Burns, United States
2nd Prize - Gérard Métrailler, Switzerland

1997
1st Prize - Gábor Boldoczki, Hungary
2nd Prize - Jeroen Berwaerts, Belgium
3rd Prize - André Henry, France

2000
1st Prize - David Guerrier, France
2nd Prize - Andrej Kowalinskij, Belarus
3rd Prize - Not awarded
4th Prize - Alison Balsom, United Kingdom and Timor Martynov, Russia

2003
1st Prize - Not awarded
2nd Prize (tie) - Ibrahim Maalouf, France and Giuliano Sommerhalder, Switzerland
3rd Prize - Olivier Bombrun, France
4th Prize - Raphaël Dechoux, France

About the author: Gary Mortenson is the Publications Editor and a member of the Board of Directors for the International Trumpet Guild. He is professor of trumpet and director of the trumpet and brass ensemble at Kansas State University. In recent years he has represented ITG and KSU across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, and Thailand.

Maurice André and Gary Mortenson

• First Round
• Second Round
• Final Round
• Results
• Prize Winners Ceremony and Concert
• Participants
• Previous Winners