June 2022 Winner: Jack Bricklemeyer
This issue’s featured young artist award winner is Jack Bricklemyer, a sixteen-year-old rising high school senior at H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. Jack has been an active member of his high school band program, performing in the wind ensemble and jazz band, since freshman year. He has placed as first-chair trumpet in the All-County band competition since he was in the seventh grade and has made All-State in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Similarly Jack has performed in the All-County jazz band in 2019, 2020 and 2021, often placing in the 2nd chair solo position. He also enjoys pursuing performance opportunities outside of school such as playing principal trumpet in the pit orchestra for the 2019 production of “White Christmas” at the Straz Performing Arts Center in downtown Tampa. Jack has also been quite active with the National Trumpet Competition (NTC) and International Trumpet Guild (ITG). He was a finalist in both NTC and the ITG youth competition in 2019 and 2021.
Ever since a young age, Jack has loved music and credits his dad as being the first person to expose him to a lot of different artists as they bonded over their shared love of music. In sixth grade, Jack was drawn to playing trumpet thanks to a very nurturing and enthusiastic band director, Jay Dedon. It was in Mr. Dedon’s middle school band where Jack grew and developed as a musician in a supportive band family. It was also during middle school when Jack began to study privately with trumpeter, Robert Murray, who has been very influential in his development as a trumpeter, particularly through his expertise in solo playing and exposing him to NTC and ITG. Dr. Murray describes Jack as “a terrific performer, exhibiting maturity in his musicianship beyond his age” who has successfully performed repertoire such as Timofei Dokschitzer’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Rafael Mendez’s “La Virgen de la Macarena.” He also feels that Jack demonstrates a “genuine spirit of servant leadership” amongst his peers in his high school ensembles.
Some of Jack’s favorite trumpet artists include Louis Armstrong for his great melodic improvisation, Doc Severinsen for his power and tone, and Sergei Nakariakov for his technical command including his ability to circular breathe. He met both Doc and Sergei at the National Trumpet Competitions which was very inspirational for him. In addition to playing trumpet, Jack is a dedicated athlete, competing on his high school’s varsity soccer and varsity swim teams. Jack plans to major in music in college and perhaps double major in a math or science related field. As the June 2022 ITG Young Artist Award recipient, he will receive a one-year complimentary membership to ITG. Congratulations Jack!