Sommerhalder (L) and Friedman

Friedman conducts in Austria

Stanley Friedman writes:

“As a composer, conductor and Yamaha Solo Trumpet Artist, I often travel to universities, presenting master classes and concerts of my music. When long-time friend Tony Plog suggested that sometime I might work with his students in Freiburg, Germany, I seized the opportunity. I had been considering arranging workshops and concerts in Europe for some time, and Tony’s invitation served as the catalyst. Between April 13 and April 25, 2007 I visited six locations in Germany (Berlin, Detmold, Karlsruhe, Freiburg), Switzerland (Luzern) and Austria (Dornbirn)

My tour included a number of master classes for brass players and composers, both advanced students and professionals, mostly at Musikhochschule (conservatories). There were many classroom performances of my works, especially Solus and Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, and I performed some of my newer publications, including etudes from Symmetrical Studies and excerpts from my Classical Concerto. I also coached students in the James Stamp exercises, listened to student compositions and played recorded excerpts from my opera Hypatia.

Additionally, I conducted a formal concert of my music in Detmold, Germany. This event featured 22-year-old Giuliano Sommerhalder in La Pittura for solo trumpet and brass quintet (1993 ITG Composition Prize winner). Giuliano is principal trumpet with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and is one of the most exciting young solo talents today. The concert also included Antiphonia IV (trumpet sextet), Trio for Jimmie Stamp (horns or trumpets), Sonata for Trombone and Piano, Laude (solo trumpet), Four Freilachs (brass quintet) and Solus. The performances were electrifying, and my work was received with great warmth and extended applause. It was a deeply emotional experience for me, one that I shall never forget.

Throughout my travels I was thrilled to meet and hear some truly astonishing young talents and most gratified to learn that they are performing my works frequently and with great imagination, enthusiasm and technical brilliance (reality check: my pieces are not too hard anymore!).

I learned much from this experience. Most of the twenty-something trumpeters I met played piston instruments, except for Classical/Romantic orchestral work, where rotary trumpets are preferred.  The studios included students from South Korea, China, Great Britain, Israel, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, Russia and the USA as well as Germans, Swiss and Austrians. The level of musicianship was very high, comparable with that of advanced students at the top American conservatories. Tonal and stylistic differences between the Euro/Internationals and their American counterparts seemed less pronounced than I had expected and, perhaps, less than one might have heard twenty years ago. Overall, the students were extremely well prepared and receptive to my presentations. The high, positive energy within the studios speaks well of the professors and the general attitude towards learning. We made music; we had fun.

There were many memorable moments. As I approached the entrance to the Hochschule “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin for the first time I heard my Zephyr Dances being rehearsed by a superb brass quintet; what a brilliant welcome! The many imaginative interpretations of Solus I heard gave me new ideas of how I might perform this piece myself.

I am most grateful to trumpet professors William Forman (Berlin), Max Sommerhalder (Detmold), Markus Wuersch (Luzern), Ed Tarr (Karlsruhe), composer/trumpeter Tony Plog (Freiburg), composer Martin Redel (Detmold), SonusBrass and the Vorarlberger Musikschulwerk (both in Dornbirn). They made me feel welcome and appreciated and were quite indulgent of my woefully limited German.

It was a great treat to be able to function as the musical polymath: composer, conductor, trumpeter and teacher.” For more information, please visit the website linked below.

Link:
AsherRoseMusic