Candelaria performs at Trumpet Days

Dr. Leonard Candelaria, Edward's Performing Artist, 1993-95 ITG President and Professor of Trumpet the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and Steve Leisring, Professor of Trumpet at the University of Kansas, were featured guests for the week-long “Trumpet Days” sponsored by the Josef Vitolas National Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia, October 11-17, 2008. Trumpet Days officially began at the annual conference for the Latvian Band Directors Association in  Limbaži, Latvia. Candelaria and Leisring, along with Pasi Pirinen, Principal Trumpet of the Helsinki Philharmonic, were featured soloists with the Latvian Music Academy Wind Ensemble conducted by Professor Janis Purins.  

The week continued at the music academy with daily master classes given by Candelaria and Leisring for students and young professionals in Riga. Time each day was also spent working with the academy brass ensemble and trumpet ensemble in preparation of performances later in the week. The two visiting artists were featured soloists in a recital performance Tuesday evening which also included students of the academy.

Leisring performing at Trumpet Days

The final concert of the week, held in the concert hall of the Latvian Academy of Music, was a trumpet extravaganza with Candelaria conducting the Brass Ensemble, Leisring conducting the Trumpet Ensemble and solo performances by guests trumpeters Aarne Ots of Estonia, Armandis Svinsters and Guntis Supe of Latvia, and Alexis Demchenko of Lithuania. Leisring and Candelaria closed the program to long and enthusiastic applause, performing arrangements of Bizet’s Carmen and Raphael Mendez’ Bambuco and La Virgen de la Macarena respectively.