On Thursday, April 2, the University of Southern Mississippi hosted Dr. Brian Shaw, assistant professor of trumpet and jazz studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, for a master class and recital in Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus. In the morning master class, Shaw coached USM students James Crockeron the first movement of Hindemith’s Sonata, Bill Rose on the "Variations for Solo Trumpet" by Brian G. Campbell, Mark Bell on the first movement of Neruda’s Concerto, and Andrew Trimble on the first movement of William Presser’s Second Suite for Unaccompanied Trumpet. Through the use of imagery, body movement, discussion of historical context, and a focus on music-making, he helped each student better understand and perform the work they chose.

Dr. Shaw’s evening recital offered a mix of moods and styles. The recital opened with “The Trumpet Shall Sound” from Handel’s Messiah, which Shaw performed on Baroque trumpet in collaboration with pianist Ms. Libby Vanatta and Dr. J. Taylor Hightower, professor of voice at Southern Miss. Next came Ryan Howard’s arrangement of Ravel’s "Pavane pour une infante défunte" and Oskar Böhme’s Concerto. After a brief intermission, Shaw and Vanatta returned to play Molter’s Concerto No. 2. Dr. Nicholas Ciraldo, professor of guitar at Southern Miss, joined Shaw for selections from Manuel de Falla’s Siete Canciones Populares Españolas. Shaw performed the first three songs (El Paño moruno, Asturiana, Jota) on flugelhorn, Nana on B-flat trumpet with cup mute, and Polo without the mute. The recital ended with Clarke’s "Sounds from the Hudson." The performers played Clarke’s "Carnival of Venice" as an encore.

For more information:

The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music – http://www.usm.edu/music/

Dr. Brian Shaw - http://www.bshawmusic.com/