Festival gallery

Nicholas Harvey, Nathaniel Mayfield, Charles Saenz and Jason Dovel

Charles Saenz presents a master class

Nate Mayfield coaches a participant on the natural trumpet

Nick Harvey performs virtuoso cornetto divisions

On February 9, 2008, a diverse group of trumpet artists and nearly fifty participants descended upon the campus of Northeastern State University (NSU) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma for the first annual Northeastern Trumpet Festival.  The event included recitals, master classes, reading sessions, and other events, including everything from jazz improvisation to divisions on the Renaissance cornetto.

The event opened with a brief concert by the Broken Arrow Trumpet Choir, conducted by Danny Judd.  The ensemble performed Fanfare for Trumpets by Mel Boiles and Danny Judd’s arrangement of “The Great Gate of Kiev” from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Following the trumpet choir’s outstanding performance, the featured guest artist, Charles Saenz (trumpet professor at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio), presented a morning master class.

Early music specialists Nathaniel Mayfield and Nicholas Harvey presented a very informative lecture-recital on early brass instruments.  Mr. Mayfield and Mr. Harvey are active freelance artists in Austin and Denton, Texas, respectively.  They discussed the Renaissance cornetto and the Baroque trumpet and how they differ in sound, technique and style from a modern approach to trumpet playing.

In a complete change of style, the early music recital was followed by a jazz recital, featuring Charles Saenz and the NSU faculty jazz combo.  NSU trumpet professor Jason Dovel presented “Alexander Technique in Trumpet Performance” as the evening masterclass.

The NSU festival also included reading sessions conducted by Dovel and NSU director of bands Dr. Norman Wika, as well as exhibits by local music vendors, Saied Music and Tulsa Band.

The evening’s final concert was dubbed the “all-star recital” and featured performances covering a wide variety of styles and periods. Harvey and Mayfield opened the concert by performing Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets on Baroque trumpet. The balance and blend of these two superb musicians was dazzling. Saenz then played Torelli’s Sonata G1 on piccolo, followed by a performance of Allen Vizzutti’s Sonata No. 2 by Jason Dovel. Nathaniel Mayfield then performed Telemann’s Concerto on Baroque trumpet.

Listeners were in for a special treat with Nicholas Harvey’s stunning performance on the Renaissance cornetto. He played Giovanni Bassano’s divisions on Frais et Galliard by Jacobus Clemens non Papa. Harvey is quickly becoming one of the finest cornetto players in the United States.  His pure, vocal sound and flawless technique captivated the attentive audience. In another early music selection, Mayfield performed Jeremiah Clarke’s Suite in D Major on Baroque trumpet.  Charles Saenz then concluded the evening’s concert with a thrilling performance of Théo Charlier’s Solo de Concours.  The accompanist for all of the event’s performances was NSU alumnus Shane Ohlson.

For more information, please visit the NSU Trumpet Studio website.

Link:
NSU Trumpet Studio