The sixth annual Art of Sound Summer Brass Institute at the Menlo School on the San Francisco Peninsula hosted many brass players this past July including a special visit from Chris Martin, Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Chris Martin sparked the action at the outset of the Festival with his master class, lessons and a performance with Fellowship students and the resident ensemble, Bay Brass. Martin’s class on Friday night began with Martin as the soloist with double brass quintet in an arrangement by Vicky Greenbaum of the Blumine movement originally from Symphony No. 1 in D Major by Gustav Mahler.  Martin then performed the first movement of the Concerto in D Major by Johann Friedrich Fasch and Concerto for Trumpet by Joseph Turrin.  The standing room only audience was inspired by the virtuosic artistry that Martin displayed during his performance.

In the master class with Chris Martin, Conrad Jones performed the Haydn concerto on Eb trumpet, Christine Rapp performed Pennequin’s Morceau de Concert on piccolo trumpet, Nathaniel Mayer played excerpts from Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius, and veteran festival participant, Scott Cook performed excerpts from Igor Stravinsky's Petrouchka and the Ravel's Piano Concerto. Martin shared many insights, anecdotes, and personal experience with each of the participants during the master class.  Martin generously gave much of his time during his visit talking with students during his master classes, lessons with students, and during meal times.

The week long festival offered many additional classes including trumpet excerpt classes on Gustav Mahler symphonies with Glenn Fischtal (San Francisco Symphony Trumpet), Extreme Song and Wind: The Arnold Jacobs Legacy for Trumpet with Dave Burkhart (Professor of Trumpet at San Francisco Conservatory), and "Winning the Chair" auditioning class with Jonathan Ring (San Francisco Symphony Orchestra Horn).  The festival also included twelve student brass quintets, eleven large student brass ensembles, and a final concert allowing students to demonstrate what they had learned. 

For information about the events at the Summer Brass Institute and Festival this past July, please visit http://brass.menloschool.org for more details.