March 2013 Winner: John Burton

Congratulations to our March 2013 Young Artist Award recipient John Burton, a senior at Walker Valley High School in Bradley County, Tennessee. John began his musical studies with piano lessons in the second grade progressing to the trumpet in the sixth grade at Ocoee Middle School, where he received his first award for “Best Brass Student,” launching his focus on the trumpet.

Since middle school, John has been the recipient of numerous awards and opportunities—among them three consecutive seasons as principal trumpet with the Chattanooga Symphony Youth Orchestra. A concerto winner in his sophomore year with CSYO, John performed the third movement of the Hummel Concerto for Trumpet four times in one season and will be featured this spring again as a concerto soloist showcasing his skills on the second movement of Eric Ewazen’s Trumpet Concerto.

John was featured nationally last April on NPR’s “From the Top” performing Barat’s Fantaisie in E-flat with pianist Christopher O’Reilly and was a semifinalist at the National Trumpet Competition. 2012 proved even more rewarding, resulting with prizes won at the ITG Youth Day Competition, securing principal trumpet with the Allstate East Tennessee Blue Band, and principal chairs with the Tennessee All State Band and Orchestra. Over the last four years, John has studied trumpet with Tina Erickson, dedicated educator, faculty member at the University of Tennessee and Lee University, and Blackburn Trumpet Artist.

Currently a senior at Walker Valley High, John has served as principal trumpet in the Symphony Band under the direction of Alan Hunt, additionally playing bass guitar in Fox Creek, a local bluegrass band. An excellent student and member of the National Honor Society, John maintains a straight-A average. John relaxes with numerous visual art forms such as juggling, knife throwing, and yo-yoing, and he even rides unicycles! As the March 2013 Young Artist Award Recipient, John will receive a one year complimentary membership in the ITG.

John would like to thank his parents, Mike and Fredda and three brothers (Brian, Mark, and Ben), for their love and support. At the present time, John is busy on the college audition trail and plans to pursue a career in trumpet performance.

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