Spring 2014 News from the University of Kentucky

The spring 2014 semester was a busy time at the University of Kentucky with numerous guest artists and student accomplishments. The first guest artists were the Gaudete Brass Quintet, who visited on February 1, 2014 as part of the University of Kentucky BrassFest. The day consisted of solo competitions, a brass quintet competition, master classes, and recitals. Trumpeters Bill Baxtresser and Ryan Berndt presented a trumpet master class that focused on chamber music, practice techniques, and career/marketing advice. The quintet presented a concert of mostly contemporary music originally composed for brass quintet. UK trumpet professor Jason Dovel joined the Gaudete Brass on stage for a performance of Oskar Böhme's Sextet.

On February 20, Dr. Dennis Edelbrock from George Mason University presented a master class and recital. He was joined on stage in recital by Phillip Chase Hawkins, Jason Dovel, and the UK trumpet ensemble. He performed Vivaldi's Concerto for Two Trumpets with Jason Dovel, as well as solo features of the Concerto for Trumpet by Joseph Haydn and Concertpiece by James Curnow. The second half consisted of trumpet ensemble selections that featured soloists, such as arrangements of the traditional La Virgen de la Macarena and Puccini's Nessun Dorma featuring Phillip Chase Hawkins, Lo Presti's Heralding featuring Dennis Edelbrock, and Altenburg's Concerto for Seven Trumpets and Timpani featuring Edelbrock.

 On February 27, Dr. Logan Place from Southeastern Louisiana University presented a master class and recital. He performed Lo Presti's Heralding, Telemann's Sonata de Concert, Hubeau's Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, and Pachmutova's Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra.

On March 13, Dr. Langston Fitzgerald presented a master class to the UK brass area. Fitzgerald is a retired trumpeter from the Baltimore Symphony (1970–2003) who is currently Professor of Trumpet at Penn State University. He presented a master class in which he coached several student performers and talked about his career in the Baltimore Symphony. He also taught several private lessons.

 On April 14, Jonathan Stites, third trumpet with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and an alumnus of the UK trumpet studio, presented a master class. He talked about taking auditions and worked with students on orchestral excerpts and solo literature.

 On April 16, Dr. Robert Murray presented a master class. Murray is associate professor of trumpet at Columbus State University in Georgia. He talked about the road he took to his present position as a university professor and worked with several students on solo literature.

 In addition to the numerous guest artists, there were also several noteworthy student accomplishments. The UK trumpet ensemble was awarded second prize at the 2014 National Trumpet Competition at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA. UK trumpet student Jared Wallis presented a lecture-recital on Baroque trumpet entitled, "Research in Performance: Period Performance Practice on the Baroque Trumpet" at the 2014 National Conference for Undergraduate Research.  Graduate student Rui Li was accepted to present, both as a performer and a clinician, at the 2014 International Society for Improvised Music Conference in New York City. Trumpet studio graduate assistant Phillip Chase Hawkins was a guest artist at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as well as the Eastman School of Music.