October 2014 Winner: Brent Proseus

Brent Proseus is currently a senior in high school and has distinguished himself as an excellent trumpet player and musician in both classical and jazz genres. He won ITG Conference Scholarships in 2013 and 2014, and he won the third-place prize in the Senior Division of the ITG Youth Competition in 2014.

Brent’s first trumpet teacher was his father, Eric and since the seventh grade Brent has continued his studies with Gregg Good. As an eighth grader, Brent was principal trumpet in the Michigan Junior High All-State Band. In his sophomore year, he was principal trumpet in the Michigan All-state Orchestra and in his junior year, he was lead trumpet in the Michigan All-State Jazz Band. He won a featured soloist award at the Michigan Youth Arts All-State Competition and will solo with that orchestra at the gala concert. Currently, Brent plays in his high school concert and jazz bands with the West Michigan Homeschool Fine Arts. He has also contributed to the Grand Rapids community by playing in the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony since the eighth grade, holding the co-principal or principal position.

In the Michigan State Solo and Ensemble Festival, Brent has achieved the highest ratings and scores throughout his junior high and high school years. As a sophomore, he received a perfect 100% score, playing the first movement of Henri Tomasi’s Trum­pet Concerto. As a junior, he performed Jolivet’s Con­certino at Michigan State Solo and Ensemble Festival. Besides classical trumpet honors, Brent has also won many awards in jazz, including the Hastings Jazz Festival soloist award and the Western Michigan University Jazz Festival lead trumpet and soloist awards. Brent also placed third in the high school division of the Grand Valley State University International Solo Competition, after his freshman year.

Outside of music, Brent loves academics, is active in his church and enjoys drawing. He plans to pursue trumpet performance as a career. As the June 2014 Young Artist Award recipient, Brent will receive a one-year complimentary membership to ITG. Congratulations, Brent!

June 2014 Winner: Luke Hamilton

Luke Hamilton has been a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO), directed by William White, for the past two years. He recently was a winner of the CSYO Concerto Competition and performed the Arutiunian Concerto with the orchestra in March 2014. He studies privately with Steven Pride, second trumpet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Luke is principal trumpet in the Lakota West High School Symphonic Winds and trumpet section leader for the Lakota West Marching Firebirds, both under the dir­ection of Greg Snyder. This No­v­ember, he will march with the Firebirds in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Luke is also a two-year member of the College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department Brass Choir, directed by Paul Hillner, and is currently principal trumpet with that group.

Luke served as principal trumpet for the 2013 Ohio All-State Band and has been accepted as a member of the 2014 Ohio All-State Orch­estra. In 2013, he was a finalist in the high school division of the Nat­ional Trumpet Competition, held at George Mason University. During his sophomore year, he per­formed at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic with the Lakota West Symphonic Winds. He has also twice perform­ed in the Lakota West Pit Orchestra, playing for such musicals as The Music Man and All Shook Up.

Luke plans to major in trumpet performance next year. In his free time, he enjoys running, weight­lifting, and listening to music. He also plays electric guitar in his church worship band. He is very thankful for the support of his parents and family and feels very fortunate to have such accomplished mentors. As the June 2014 Young Artist Award recipient, Luke will receive a one-year complimentary membership to ITG. Congratulations, Luke!

March 2014 Winner: Arthur Escriva

Born in 1997 to a family of musicians, Arthur Escriva began playing trumpet at the age of five in the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental du Tarn (CRD) in the class of Xavier Durand. In 2009, he joined the class of Laurent Beltran, with whom he also studied Baroque trumpet. One year later, he began studying with René Gilles Rousselot at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Toulouse (CRR).

In 2011, he won the Premier prix à l’unanimité avec les félicitations du jury (first prize unanimously with honors) in his class at the Parnassus Trumpet Competition (end of second cycle). The following year, he won first prize at the Maurice André Competition in Alès (ages 13–17) and was also a finalist for the seventh European Competition of Young Trumpeters in Alençon.

In 2013, at the age of fifteen, he won first prize in trumpet (Très bien) at the CRD Tarn and was chosen to be part of the French Youth Orchestra under the direction of Dennis Russell Davies, making him one of the youngest musicians to join that ensemble.

 In 2013, he also won first prize (Supérieur) at the eighth trumpet competition at L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, where he was granted a fellowship to study with Pierre Dutot at the Festival du Cap Ferret. He also participated in masterclasses with Anthony Plog, Eric Aubier, Manu Mellaerts, Christian Léger, Jean-François Dion, Thierry Caens, David Guerrier, and Guy Messler.

He plays with a variety of ensembles, including the Brass Band of Toulouse, L’Ensemble Orchestral du Tarn, and Ensemble Instrumental de l’Ariège. In October 2013, he performed the concerto for trumpet and band, entitled Mister Jack, by Jean-Michel Maury with Ensemble Instrumental de l’Ariège.

As the March 2014 Young Artist Award recipient, Arthur will receive a one-year complimentary membership to ITG. Congratulations, Arthur!

January 2014 Winner: Eli Ross

Eli Ross, seventeen, is a senior at Southwest High School in Minneapolis. Born into a family of musicians—his parents are principal and assistant principal cellists in the Minnesota Orchestra—he began studying piano at age five and trumpet at age seven with Minnesota Orchestra trumpeter, Robert Dorer.

Eli began attending Interlochen Arts Center at the age of eight and has returned every summer since, often receiving merit scholarships. At Interlochen, he studies with John Aley and Vincent DiMartino, has performed on numerous honor recitals, and, for the past two summers, has been a member of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.

In Minneapolis, Eli has been a member of the Minnesota Youth Symphony and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony, serving as principal trumpet for both groups for the past six years. He will travel to Spain, performing principal trumpet on Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 and Copland's Appalachian Spring with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony in June of 2014. He has enjoyed additional private studies with Minnesota Orchestra principal trumpeter Manny Laureano and has formed a brass quintet with other principals of the Minnesota Youth Symphony.

At Southwest High School, Eli has played in the orchestra, wind ensemble, and big band, studies private voice, and is a member of the award winning Southwest Singers. He also performs regularly as a so­loist at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Upon his graduation from middle school, Eli received the outstanding musician award from Lake Harriet Community School; and that same year, he also won first prize in the Thursday Musical solo competition. Most recently, in June 2013, Eli won both an ITG Conference Scholarship and first prize in the ITG High School Solo Competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Eli has also attended ITG conferences held in Minneapolis in 2011 and New Jersey in 2006 when his late grandfather, trumpet master Leon Rapier, was given an ITG Award of Merit.

Outside of practicing trumpet, Eli has been a member of the basketball, baseball, and swim teams at Southwest High School and served as a volunteer for the Locked Out Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra during the 2012–13 season.

Eli plans on auditioning for music schools and conservatories this year, and he looks forward to teaching his first private student. As the January 2014 Young Artist Award recipient, Eli will receive a one-year complimentary membership to ITG.

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