 | | Seminar Participant Omar Butler, Juilliard School of Music |
The 2000 Lake Placid International Trumpet Seminar was presented by the Lake Placid Institute in partnership with the Royal Academy of Music, London, from July 31 to August 12, 2000, in the Adirondack paradise of Lake Placid, New York. Generous assistance was provided by Yamaha Corporation of America: Band and Orchestral Division, and Rayburn Music, Boston, Massachusetts. This was the fourth time the event has been held.
The faculty included Edward Carroll, Mark Gould, James Thompson, and John Wallace. In addition, Alex Bonus served as an adjunct faculty member administrating the Natural Trumpet Ensemble. Pianist Rebecca Wilt was the collaborative accompanist throughout the event. There were 40 participants from Argentina, Canada, China, England, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, and the United States. I'm happy to report that the wealth and depth of talent displayed at this year's seminar had to be heard to be believed. The Lake Placid Institute was founded in 1995 "to foster and sustain cultural activity in the Adirondacks." In a relatively short time, Chairman James A. Winn (chair of the English department at Boston University) and his music director Carroll (formerly of the Houston Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Rotterdam Philharmonic) have brought the Lake Placid seminars to a cutting-edge world class standard.
Three indoor and two outdoor concerts were given, in addition to general master classes and seminars. Students had 30-minute private tutorials with teachers every morning, and extra lessons were scheduled. Eight evening master classes were held in Erdman Hall, overlooking aptly named Mirror Lake.  | New or Unusual Works Given a Private Hearing at the Lake Placid International Trumpet Seminar
Works Commissioned by ITG
Cantilena (2000) by Carol Barratt (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Cries and Whispers (2000) by Ned Rorem (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Elegy for trumpet and piano (2000) by David Horne (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Exposed Throat for solo trumpet (2000) by H.K. Gruber (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Fanfare for Lowry for two solo trumpets (2000) by Peter Maxwell Davies (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Go Blow Your Own for two solo trumpets in B-flat (2000) by Jonathan Lloyd (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Litany, for a ruined chapel between sheep and shore for solo trumpet (1999) by Peter Maxwell Davies (Chester)
Lento Ritornando (1999) by Lloyd Moore (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Salm O Dewi Sant (2000) by Karl Jenkins (Boosey & Hawkes)*
Sonata for Solo Trumpet: Movement 1 (1999) by Robin Holloway (Boosey & Hawkes)*
* These selections available in a soon-to-be-released sheet music collection commissioned by ITG in cooperation with publisher Boosey & Hawkes.
Unfamilar Pieces Given a First Hearing
Fanfanfaren for four trumpets (1996) by Mauricio Kagel (Peters)
Trumpet Concerto for two solo trumpets (1995) by Harold Shapero (Shapero)
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These classes gave every student a chance to shine. During the two-week event, a majority of the standard trumpet repertory was played, and each faculty member mounted his own personal soapbox to illuminate topics close to his heart. Thompson presented his popular Buzzing Basics classes, and his wife Anne presented early morning yoga and relaxation sessions. Bonus ran a natural trumpet class that turned into a reputable eight-piece ensemble. The group opened each formal concert and even improvised pieces in Renaissance style - an unprecedented steep learning curve and display of courage, no doubt induced by the crystalline mountain air. Gould, principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, joined in with the ensemble, playing the khangling, the Tibetan trumpet made from a human thighbone. More thought-provoking workshops and seminars peppered the event, with Carroll offering his brilliant musicianship in "Interpretation vs. Realization;" Gould giving important insights into "Creativity as a Negative Force;" Thompson exploring "The French Influence;" and Wallace offering "A New Perspective on the Trumpet in the Romantic Era."
As in years past, athletes from the United States Olympic Training Center participated in a discussion concerning "Peak Performance Through Optimum Concentration," a matter of concern to all trumpet players who go through grueling auditions. The topic was the source of much animated exchange. Solo playing during the seminar was balanced by playing in trumpet ensembles (minimum three players and maximum thirty-six players). Members of the ITG Commissions Committee (Carroll and Wallace) revealed several recent ITG commissions to the students to force them out of their comfort zones. Private hearings held in specially convened performance seminars were entitled "Exploring the Extremities of Our Repertoire." The final concerts were memorable occasions, with participants being joined by faculty members. Some of the highlights included performances by Thompson on cornet (Carl Hohne's Slavische Fantasie); Gould on a Yamaha C trumpet (Astor Piazzola's Café 1930), and John Wallace (Berio's Sequenza X).
Quality will be maintained each year by restructuring the curriculum and restricting participant numbers to 40. Auditions for next year's event will be held in the U.S. and Europe during February 2001. It is highly recommend that those interested in participating in the 2001 seminar, which will be held July 23 to August 4, contact the Lake Placid Institute as soon as possible. Current information can be obtained by contacting: Lake Placid Institute, P.O. Box 988 Lake Placid, NY 12946 USA; 518-523-1312; fax 518-523-5354; www.lakeplacidinstitute.org/html/music.html; lpinst@northnet.org.
 | | Trumpet Seminar Participants and Faculty |
| Congratulations are offered to past participants in the Lake Placid Institute
International Trumpet Seminars:
Alex Bonus (LPI '99, '00) who has left his position as Program Assistant at the
Symphony Orchestra Institute to be General Manager of the Chicago based
Newberry Consort.
Brian Chin (LPI '99, '00) who has been appointed as Principal Trumpet of the
Tacoma (Washington) Symphony Orchestra.
Aaron Flagg (LPI '98) who has been awarded his DMA from the University of
Michigan.
Michael Sanford (LPI '96) who has been appointed Third/Utility trumpet of the
Orquesta Sinfonica de Estado de Mexico.
Michael Vrijlink (LPI '96) who has been appointed Principal Trumpet of the
Shanghai Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Michael Zonshine (LPI '96, '97) who has been appointed as Principal Trumpet of
the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.
Congratulations are also offered to the following:
Justin Emerich (LPI '99) who will pursue his MM at the Juilliard School of
Music.
Travis Gould (LPI '00) who will pursue his MM at the Eastman School of Music.
Emily Kluga (LPI '00) who will pursue her MM at the University of Northern
Colorado School of Music.
Elizabeth Meeker (LPI '99, '00) and David Snyder (LPI '96, '97, '98) who will
pursue their MM at the Yale School of Music.
Faithe Roberts (LPI '00) who will pursue her MM at the Indiana University
School of Music.
Gareth Flowers (LPI '00) who will pursue his BM at the Juilliard School of
Music.
Sean Maness (LPI '00), Stephanie Richards (LPI '96, '97, '98) and Daniel
Rosenboom (LPI '00) who will pursue their BM at the Eastman School of Music.
John Olin (LPI '00), who will pursue his BM at the Northwestern University
School of Music.
Jordan Olive (LPI '00) who will pursue his BM at the University of Michigan
School of Music.
Giuliano Sommerhalder (LPI '99) who has recorded the Tartini Concerto with the
Zuricher Kammerorchester, the Wainberg Concerto with the Detmolder
Kammerorchester, and the Bohme Concerto with the Heilbronner Sinfonieorchester. |
About the Author: John Wallace is internationally acclaimed as a virtuoso trumpet player. He is the head of the brass faculty at London's Royal Academy of Music and serves as principal trumpet of the London Sinfonietta, London's foremost contemporary music ensemble. Wallace was the principal trumpet with the Philharmonia Orchestra until 1995, a position he held for nearly 20 years.
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