Competition Report

Gary Mortenson

The Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Solo Competition is a collaborative effort between the International Trumpet Guild and the Ellsworth Smith Memorial Endowment. Smith, a Civil War veteran, lived in the Marietta area of Ohio, and was a life-long devotee of cornet playing. The first Ellsworth Smith International Solo Competition took place in 1988 at The Ohio State University and was hosted by Richard Burkhart. The 2004 event is the eighth and was hosted and organized by Leonard Candelaria at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). All events took place in the Jemison Concert Hall, a space beautifully suited, both acoustically and logistically, for the needs of the competition. The three judges had a perfect vantage point at the front edge of the closed balcony while observers had the entire main floor to hear the competition.

Competitors for the finals were selected through the submission of recordings evaluated by the preliminary judges: Lyman Brodie - University of Central Florida, Jay Coble – University of South Florida, and Moffatt Williams – Columbus State University. The judges for the semifinal and final rounds at UAB were Bryan Goff – Professor of Trumpet and Coordinator of the Wind and Percussion Division at Florida State University, Philip Smith – Principal Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic, and James Watson – Artistic Director and Head of Brass at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

The five contestants chosen by the preliminary judges were: Luis Araya – Costa Rica, Fruzsina Hara – Hungary, Jay Michalak – Canada, Brian Shaw – United States, and Benjamin Wright – United States. Accompanists for the semifinal rounds of the competition were Kathryn Fouse – Samford University, W. David Hobbs – Eastern Illinois University, and Rebecca Wilt – Messiah College. The Alabama Symphony, conducted by Jeffrey Reynolds, accompanied the soloists who advanced to the final round.

Opening Ceremony

            Prelude: Brassworks - Alabama

            Under the direction of competition host Leonard Candelaria, Brassworks - Alabama performed three works to open the 2004 Ellsworth Smith Competition events. These included The Earle of Oxford's March by William Byrd (arr. Elgar Howarth), Canzona per sonara #2 by Giovanni Gabrieli (ed. Robert King), and "Six Dances" from The Dansyre by Tylman Susato (arr. John Iveson). This thirteen-member ensemble, comprised of area professionals, performed with great flair and precision. The technical challenges of the Byrd, the bold polyphonic lines of the Gabrieli, and the stately Renaissance melodies of the Susato, were all performed with attention to detail, impeccable intonation, and fine balance.

            Philip Smith/Joseph Turrin

            After brief remarks by Leonard Candelaria and James Olcott (competition chair), and the introduction of the competitors, the audience settled in for a recital by Philip Smith - trumpet, and Joseph Turrin – piano. The recital showcased several compositions and arrangements by Joseph Turrin who has a long-standing and highly successful collaboration with Philip Smith. Turrin's Caprice opened the program and featured flawless technique and control from both performers. Smith talked about each of the works on his recital, giving the audience valuable insights into the history and background of each selection. He explained that Richard Peaslee's Catalonia had been written for a tour he had done several years ago to three colleges in the Midwest and that, to his knowledge, he was the only person performing it at the present timeÉit was his hope that more trumpet players would include it in their repertoire in the future. A piece with a great deal of Spanish influence, Catalonia required technical facility (lots of multiple tonguing in the solo trumpet), excellent endurance, and intervallic accuracy. Both artists handled these challenges with apparent ease. The recital continued with Four Miniatures by Joseph Turrin. From the angular writing in "Fanfare," to the fluid lines of "Intermezzo," to the haunting lyricism of "Canto," and ending with the technical tour-de-force of the "Tarantella," this was an example of artistic mastery at the highest levels. Rounding out the recital were three lyrical works including: Someone to Watch Over Me by George Gershwin (arr. Turrin), "Semper Libera" from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi (arr. Robert Elkje), and Here, There, and Everywhere by Lennon & McCartney (arr. Turrin). In both word and deed, Philip Smith, as accompanied by Joseph Turrin, warmed the hearts and ears of his audience. A man of uncommon devotion and conviction, Smith is a model for all musicians both aesthetically and philosophically... a perfect ending to a most enjoyable evening.

 The Semifinal Rounds

Ellsworth Smith Semifinalists
L – R: Luis Araya, Fruzsina Hara, Benjamin Wright, Brian Shaw
Jay Michalak, ESC host – Leonard Candelaria

            On Thursday, November 4, 2004, three semifinal rounds took place. Round A took place at 9:00 am and required the competitors to play Concerto in D by Leopold Mozart (Adagio and Allegro moderato) and Sonatine pour trompette et piano (Prelude, Sarabande, and Gigue) by Jean Français. All five contestants performed the Mozart on piccolo trumpets and the Français on C trumpets. The order of appearance for all rounds was determined by the drawing of lots. This method produced the following order: Brian Shaw (W. David Hobbs – accompanist), Fruzsina Hara (Kathryn Fouse – accompanist), Luis Araya (Fouse), Benjamin Wright (Fouse), and Jay Michalak (Rebecca Wilt –  accompanist). As one might imagine, playing piccolo trumpet first thing in the morning, with two rounds later that same day, posed quite a challenge. It should be noted at the outset, that all of the contestants established themselves as worthy of their finalist status through their fine performances of the repertoire. Fruzsina Hara and Jay Michalak performed all of Round A from memory.

Brian Shaw's interpretation of the Mozart displayed impeccable style and control, and a tasteful use of ornaments. On the Français,ais, Shaw rebounded from some minor response issues in the first movement, with beautiful phrasing (using a Stone Lined cup mute) on the lyrical second movement, and outstanding technique and accuracy in the third. The challenge imposed by the choice of repertoire (going from high piccolo playing on the Mozart to the precise demands of the Français) was a great test for all of the finalists. It was very interesting to see how each of them handled this challenge.

Fruzsina Hara took an extended period of time to tune. Once this was accomplished to her satisfaction, she performed the Mozart with grace and elegance. A few minor response issues were overcome and she got stronger as she worked past nerves and immersed herself in the piece. Hara's Français had some response issues in the first movement, but the second and third movements were beautiful with excellent phrases on movement two (employing a straight mute), and nearly flawless accuracy in the third.

Luis Araya's Mozart featured extremely fluid phrasing and a crystal clear tone. Both the lyricism of the first and the technical accuracy of the second movements were brilliant in conception and execution. ArayaÕs transition from piccolo to C trumpet was superb with excellent response in the tricky first movement of the Français. Araya employed a straight mute on the second movement. His third movement was a bit slower than tempos taken by the other contestants, but his accuracy and response were outstanding, so this may have been a wise decision.

Benjamin Wright had his accompanist cut much of the introduction on the Mozart so that his wait prior to his first entrance was reduced. His playing in the Adagio was extremely musical, and featured the longest and most involved cadenza of the competitors. Wright's Allegro movement was excellent with fine technique and response. The Français posed transition problems from piccolo to C, especially in the first movement. Wright rebounded with liquid phrasing in the second movement featuring an extremely musical interpretation of the running triplet patterns toward the end of the movement. Wright used a straight mute with a felt ring on the second movement. The last movement ended with brilliant technical playing.

Jay Michalak's Adagio from the Mozart was interpreted with fine phrasing, but would have benefited from a little more attention to controlling the upper-register trills. The Allegro movement was performed with a light and centered sound just right for the stylistic period of this piece. The Français featured excellent response in the tricky first movement, fine lyrical playing (using a Denis Wick cup mute) in the second, and an accurate interpretation of the third at a moderate tempo compared to the pace of the other contestants.

After a short break for lunch, Round B took place at 2:00 pm. The repertoire for this round consisted of a single work, Trumpet Concerto by Edward Gregson in three movements (Allegro vigoroso, In Memoriam - Dimitri Shostakovich, Vivo e brilliante). Four of the five contestants played the entire piece on B-flat trumpet. Benjamin Wright employed both a B-flat and a C trumpet on the concerto.

Brian Shaw performed the Gregson with a well-centered sound, fine control and pacing, and exceptional endurance. This was obviously a piece that showcased his strengths and he made the most of this opportunity. Fruzsina Hara had a big, centered sound and performed the Gregson in a flowing, musical fashion that was thoroughly enjoyable. Her lip trills toward the end of the third movement were extremely well controlled, as were her response, control, and endurance throughout the concerto. Luis Araya, like Hara, also had a full, centered sound, and in his interpretation of the Gregson, he made use of this strength across the entire range of the instrument to great effect. Araya played with passion and excellent phrasing, and had a sense of musicality that was a joy to experience. In both the first and last movements he overcame a slight initial tentativeness, to go on to perform with strength and vigor. Benjamin Wright switched back and forth several times from C to B-flat trumpet, and in doing so created several minor accuracy issues that could have resulted from being caught mentally somewhere between the two instruments. Despite these minor observations, he performed with precision and energy - a very mature and dramatic performer. Jay Michalak was the only competitor to perform the Gregson from memory. His sound was slighter brighter than the other competitors. Michalak's playing was dramatic, solid, and accurate.

At 7:00 pm, the competition convened for Round C to conclude an exhausting day of semifinal performances. For this round, competitors had two choices with regard to repertoire. A choice had to be made between Konzert für Trompete in B, opus 41 by Alexander Goedicke (one movement), or Konzert in f-moll, opus 18 by Oskar Böhme in three movements (Allegro moderato, Adagio religioso – Allegretto, Rondo – Allegro scherzando). All five competitors chose to perform the three-movement Böhme. Shaw, Hara, and Araya performed the work on standard B-flat trumpets. Wright used a rotary B-flat trumpet, and Michalak selected a B-flat cornet with a shepherd's crook. At the end of a long day, the performers had to make one last transition in style from the contemporary demands of the Gregson to the late-romantic Russian style required of the Böhme.

Brian Shaw performed the work brilliantly with exceptional musicality in his approach to phrasing. Overall, his playing was centered and full of energy, and he displayed the endurance to see the day through in its many challenges from the first to the last bar. Fruzsina Hara performed the Böhme from memory and was obviously comfortable with this repertoire. Her sound was full, controlled, and in-tune. The second movement was beautiful in its phrasing and noble in its aesthetic conception. As with Shaw, Hara had the endurance to survive all the demands of the day. Luis Araya, as established in the previous rounds, performed with a fluid approach that highlighted his musicality, tone, and response. As with Shaw and Hara, he too had the endurance to survive the demands of all three semifinal rounds. Ben Wright performed on a rotary-valve B-flat trumpet. Wright's instrument selection was interesting in the darker sound produced versus that of the three previous competitors. Wright took a lot of chances in his approach to the phrasing and musicality of the Böhme. His choice of instrument, however, might have extracted a price in this regard. The second movement suffered slightly in the areas of control, response, and intonation. To Benjamin Wright's credit, he called on his reserves (and had them!) to finish the work in a strong and flamboyant manner. Jay Michalak's use of cornet brought another interesting sonority into the Böhme mix. Like the rotary trumpet, MichalakÕs cornet sound was darker than that of the first three competitors, but he struggled with control and response. Despite having to cope with endurance issues, Michalak found a way to summon the strength necessary to allow his phrasing and musicality to come through. It is notable that Michalak was the only competitor to memorize the repertoire included in all three semifinal rounds, and that he did so without a single memory slip! It was also obvious in his gestures that he had committed the music of the accompaniment to memory as well. Hats off to Jay on the daunting task of committing so much music to memory!

Piano accompaniment was required on all three semifinal rounds but was not needed on any further levels of the competition. Kathryn Fouse, W. David Hobbs, and Rebecca Wilt are to be congratulated on their outstanding accompaniment throughout the day. Their efforts guaranteed that all five competitors were afforded the best possible chance for success.

Rebecca Wilt, W. David Hobbs and Kathryn Fouse

Results of the Semifinal Rounds

After the final performance in Round C, the judges deliberated for about twenty minutes. Leonard Candelaria then called the judges and competitors to the stage for the results of the semifinal competition. Philip Smith, chair of the judging panel, stated that he appreciated the preparation and effort that the competitors put into their performances, and that he was sorry that they could not all advance, but such is the nature of high-level competition. He went on to state that he was inspired to go home and practice the repertoire himself after hearing the performances of this day. Smith then announced the three finalists to advance to the finals. In alphabetical order the three finalists chosen were: Luis Araya, Fruzsina Hara, and Brian Shaw. After the announcement, the judges stayed to talk briefly with the competitors who did not advance.

The Brass Band of Huntsville

Under the direction of conductor Daniel Hornstein, the more than thirty members of The Brass Band of Huntsville performed a varied and interesting program at 8:00 pm on Friday, November 5^th. The program included guest solo appearances by two of the competition's jurors, James Watson and Philip Smith. Watson, a former conductor of the famous Black Dyke Mills Brass Band from England, also conducted several selections on the program.   

The Brass Band of Huntsville is a group that plays with conviction and spirit. Founded in 2001, the group is composed of Huntsville area brass enthusiasts drawn from university professors, high school teachers, engineers, scientists, ministers of music, law enforcement professionals, and college studentsÉall are brought together through their mutual love of brass band music.

While the entire program was extremely entertaining, two highlights featuring the guest soloists stood out. Excursions for Trumpet and Brass Band by Bruce Broughton featured Philip Smith as James Watson conducted. This piece included angular lines for the soloist, requiring great precision and control of the entire range of the instrument. The rhythmically vibrant music had many meter changes and these challenges (on two short rehearsals) were handled extremely well by soloist and band alike. Smith's tone quality was centered and strong throughout this thrilling performance. Arabesque by Joseph Turrin featured both Smith and Watson in duet with Daniel Hornstein conducting. This high energy "duel" between the two soloists featured soaring lines, bold statements from the soloists, and multiple tonguing that was secure in every way. The solo cornet player in the band, Carolyn Sanders, had several solos and indeed was kept quite busy all night performing admirably throughout the concert.

 Two other aspects of the performance deserve mention. On John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever, one wonders, "Who will play the famous piccolo solo near the end of the full band version of the work?" In a brass band, one might assume that an E-flat cornet would take up the task. Perhaps the arranger would go to the other extreme in register, and let the tuba take the solo. On this night, however, the solo trombone player took on the nasty solo, and it was wonderful! Hats off to Billy Bargetzi for his technique, trills, and bravura. Finally, it was most enjoyable to hear James Watson take a few minutes to talk to the audience about brass band history and tradition in Great Britain. Watson managed to educate a receptive audience on the growth of the movement from the 1850s in the northern industrial towns where coal mines and textile mills formed bands to keep its workers out of the gin houses and "on the straight and narrow," through to the tiered system today (numbering thousands of bands) that has produced some of the most outstanding musical organizations of the modern era. It was both humorous and enlightening to hear Watson's account of a brass band member's creative life span. "You are probably trained by your father or uncle [the movement is very much a family affair for many, Watson included], and you start out in the third cornets, work your way up through second, to first, then you are the "golden boy (or girl)" for a time. When your teeth start to loosen (lots of laughter from the audience and the stage), the long descent begins... and you work your way back down... through second, past third and out of the cornets... downward to horn, euphonium, trombone, and tuba. Once you are no longer welcome in the brass section, it's down to percussion (gasp!) digressing through snare drum, cymbals, and finally bass drum. Alas, it doesn't end there... no longer fit for anything musical, your spiral downward takes you to the jobs of secretary, librarian, treasurer, and then out!"  Needless to say, the audience loved this delightful story! Daniel Hornstein, the Brass Band of Huntsville, and soloists Philip Smith and James Watson provided an appreciative audience with a varied and memorable evening's entertainment.

James Watson Master Class

On Saturday morning at 10:00 am, James Watson, professor of trumpet from the Royal Academy of Music, gave a master class in the Jemison Concert Hall. The master class was divided into two halves. For the first hour Professor Watson talked about his journey as a musician starting at four-years of age when he was handed a cornet by his dad, and started playing in his local brass band. At four years old he couldn't read music and his stand partner (a much older woman of twelve), would point to where they were in the music! In his early training he was taught to sing through the instrument and indeed song literature was important to the formation of his early musicality. Through his early brass band experience (exclusively on cornet) he won local, regional, and then national solo competitions. Having that kind of early success, Watson's father, a coal miner, wanted his son to continue his education. In Watson's words, "So, with four pounds in my pocket I set off for the Royal Academy." Not being old enough for monetary assistance through the school, the coal miner's union from his town paid his early tuition and supplied him with a "maintenance" fund to provide for food and shelter.

Watson talked at length about his early career. Right out of the academy, he got a call from the manager of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra requesting his service on the very next concert... he thought the call was a joke! From there he was invited on a three-week tour, and after his return from the tour he was offered the position of principal. From there things just took off, and at one point he found himself working in six different areas of performance. In addition to the RPO, these areas included work with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, the London Sinfonietta, the Royal Opera and Ballet, and teaching at the Royal AcademyÉoh yes, and he was playing lots of radio, television, and movie recording sessions! Does all this sound like too much? Well it was, and at one point in the 1970s, he noticed that things started to break down. He developed a fear of flying and experienced severe stage fright among other warning signs. He eventually took stock of his life and put the instrument away for six weeks. After three months' "down time" he came back with a new set of priorities and a new perspective on life. During the session, James Watson gave us many insights into his personal philosophies on music, life, family, creativity, and practicing. (He cautioned against an epidemic of over practicing, "It is better to practice one good hour than five bad ones.") Watson ended by talking about his work in the brass band field and his return to, and his love for, the Royal Academy where he is now Artistic Director in addition to serving as brass coordinator and trumpet teacher. In his role as a teacher and administrator, Watson is always asking students, "What do you want? It is your education and you must decide what you want from it." He was proud of the fact that music faculty at the Royal Academy are non-territorial and freely work with students on a rotating basis.

During the second half of the master class, James Watson worked with two students, Ben Posey from Samford University, and Casey Matthews from Florida State University. Posey performed the first two pages of the Arutunian Concerto. Before Posey played a single note of the Concerto, Watson questioned his tuning saying, "Are you sure?" Posey tuned again - "Are you really sure?" When Posey hesitated, Watson stated, "Look - you can pullout, you can push in, or you can push off, those are your choices!" Watson felt that his playing was "nice" but qualified his use of that word by going on to say that his playing lacked character. Watson then told a rather involved story. "A Russian factory worker (Boris) lives in a state project (34^th floor with a broken elevator). Boris is working in misery during the coldest part of the year, but he trudges home every night, and survives these terrible conditions, because he loves his beautiful Russian wife Olga. One day he comes home to find a note on the kitchen table- Olga has left him for his best friend..." Then Watson turned to Posey and said, "Now play the opening of the Arutunian!"  Based on hearing Watson tell that story (longer and more involved than space permited here) Ben Posey found a way to play the opening with a bit more passion!

Casey Matthews performed two excerpts, Pines offstage call and Mahler #3 post horn solo for her part of the master class. Watson felt that Matthews' Pines excerpt sounded too much like a limerick and asked her to play it more like a soliloquy, "Tell a story through your playing." After much improvement he said, "That time you made me listen. Now you stand out from the crowd, and if I was on an audition panel, I would be much more interested in advancing you when you play like that." He went on to say, "This is a nice audience, they all want you to do well... there are no trombone players here!" (Laughter from the audience and stage.) There were many "gems" in James Watson's excellent advice to those lucky enough to attend - far far too many to properly reproduce in the context of this article – but he left us with a great one, "Any fool can play well... it takes an artist to play badly and go back the next day and pick up the trumpet to try again." Thank you Professor Watson, for a truly inspirational master class.

The Final Rounds

The three finalists were required to perform Exposed Throat for Solo C Trumpet by HK Gruber in Final Round A at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 6^th. A contemporary work that includes the use of extended techniques, Exposed Throat was commissioned to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the International Trumpet Guild in cooperation with and published by Boosey & Hawkes Publishers Ltd. This challenging contemporary work tested the abilities of the three finalists in a completely different manner versus the requirements of the three semifinal rounds. If one were to catalog the techniques required to successfully perform this unusual work they would include the following: performing with slides removed (first valve-slide in the opening of the work and later, after the first slide is put back in, the second slide is removedÉthis creates an interesting sonority much like the sounds of a Renaissance era cornetto), multi-phonic effects (singing and playing at the same time), lip bends, glissando effects, shakes, extreme register and dynamic changes, flutter tonguing, half-valve effects, stomping one's feet at various volume levels, muting (Clear Tone mute), bringing the left hand over to create wa-wa effects, and more! All three finalists performed the Exposed Throat with energy and enthusiasm, and each had a different approach to the piece. Brian Shaw and Fruzsina Hara performed with the bell of their instruments angled to the side of the stage, while Luis Araya played with the bell straight on to the audience. Shaw and Araya played with short pauses between the different sections of the piece, while Hara paused for longer breaks. In the multi-phonic sections one couldn't help but notice the different vocal registers produced between the two male competitors and that of the female. Of the three, Araya's approach was the most aggressive, and his ability to play the extremely difficult pointillism required of the work was perhaps the most centered of the three. All three soloists must be commended for taking on this ten-page, twelve-minute work with flair, energy, and individuality. Perhaps the truest test of the afternoon round would be evident in how well the finalists could rebound for the completely different demands required of the Baroque and classical repertoire required in the evening round. 

The Final Round Concert took place at 7:00 pm and was accompanied by the Alabama Symphony under the direction of Jeffrey Reynolds. Each half of the program was announced with a fanfare presented by the Alabama Trumpets conducted by Leonard Candelaria. These fanfares included Blazon for 8 Trumpets by Gilbert Vinter and "Fanfare" from La Peri by Paul Dukas (arr. Marie Speziale). Both fanfares were performed with confidence, precision, good balance, and excellent intonation under the baton of Candelaria.

The Alabama Trumpets

Results

After the concert, the judges retired to deliberate on the outcome. After about twenty minutes they returned to the stage. The jury chair, Philip Smith, spoke to the audience and to the contestants. Smith said that he was ÒawestruckÓ by the performances of all three, and that he was thankful to have been able to witness and to be inspired by the example set by these young competitors. He also thanked Leonard Candelaria and all the sponsors of the competition. Finally, he announced the results:

First Place                  Luis Araya                   Costa Rica
Second Place              Brian Shaw                  United States
Third Place                Fruzsina Hara              Hungary

After the announcement of the winners:
L – R: Jeffrey Reynolds (conductor, Alabama Symphony), Brian Shaw (second place)
Fruzsina Hara (third place), Luis Araya (first place)
Leonard Candelaria (host and organizer)

Acknowledgements

Carol Garrison - Pre President, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Bert Brouwer – Dean, UAB School of Arts and Humanities

Jeffrey Reynolds – Chair, UAB Department of Music

Dan Gainey – Facilities Coordinator, Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts

James Bevelle – Recording Technician

James Olcott – Digital Photography

The Columbus Foundation (Ohio)

Casey Matthews – Page-turner

            About the author: Gary Mortenson is Publications Editor for the International Trumpet Guild and professor of trumpet at Kansas State University where he serves as Chair of Graduate Studies in Music.