Lone Star State Trumpet Guild Trumpet Fest II
The Lone Star State Trumpet Guild (LSSTG) hosted their second trumpet fest in Odessa, Texas on March 29-30, 2019. The featured guest artist for this event was Rex Richardson. The weekend was full of recitals, a master class, instrument exhibits, and the Lone Star State Trumpet Guild Ensemble in performance.
Rex Richardson
The Festival opened with a recital by Richardson along with the LSSTG chapter ensemble. The LSSTG ensemble kicked off the night with works by André Chpelitch, Brendan Collins, and Benedetto Marcello. Richardson took the stage performing Allen Vizzutti’sThree World Winds,Elegy by Alexander Arutunian, and an unaccompanied, multi-phonic treatment of Thelonius Monk’s “Blue Monk.” He opened his recital with Gallito, a trumpet trio by Rafael Mendez,joined by Trumpet Fest host Eric Baker and John Irish. The LSSTG ensemble and Richardson later combined forces to perform Astor Piazzolla’s Oblivion. Collaborating on piano for the evening’s performance was Shari Santorelli.
Richardson began the Fest’s second day, Saturday, March 30, with a group warm-up for all brass instruments. Exploring the important aspects of his own warm up routine, all participants received awealth of information to incorporate in one’s own warm-up. He covered buzzing, bending and centering, articulation, flexibility, and pedal tones. He also described three vital aspects to building stamina: good efficiency, proper conditioning, and ensuring one is mindful of the kind of conditioning/practice one does for the type of music to be performed.
Five students then performed solo works for Richardson in a master class setting. David Richardson from Hardin-Simmons University played the third movement of Paul Hindemith’s Sonata for Trumpet. Trombonist, Josh Vesper, Odessa College, performed the first movement of Launy Grøndahl’s Concerto for Trombone. Chris Barerra from Angelo State University played Guillaume Balay’s Prelude et Ballade.On tuba, Hoszel West, III, again from Angelo State University, performed Etude No. 9 of Marco Bordogni for Richardson. Trumpeter Parker Shields, McMurry University, closed out the master class with Carl Höhne’s Slavische Fantasie.
Lone Star Trumpet Guild with Rex Richardson
Trumpet Fest II ended with performances by three student ensembles. The Trumpet Ensemble from McMurry/Abilene Christian Universities performed Fantasy for Trumpets by Dennis Horton.Performing “Mars” from Gustav’s Holst’s The Planets was the Angelo State University Low Brass Ensemble. The Angelo State University Trumpet Ensemble then performed Cocktail by Jerome Naulais. The day finished with all brass participants combined in an arrangement written for the occasion by John Irish,playing Brass Voluntary, based on Jeremiah Clarke’s The Prince of Denmark’s March. The awesome sound of massed brass echoed throughout the Jack Rodgers Fine Arts Building as Trumpet Fest II came to a fitting conclusion.
Odessa music store, N-Tune, provided a variety of trumpets and mouthpieces for participants to try.Thanks to host Eric Baker of Odessa College and the International Trumpet Guild for helping sponsor this exciting weekend of trumpet. The following institutions also helped sponsor and support this event: Angelo State University, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University, Abilene Christian University, Abilene Independent School District, Odessa Arts, Yamaha Music Corporation, and South Plains College.
(Source: John Irish)