Washington Trumpet Guild Festival

The Washington State Affiliate Chapter of the International Trumpet Guild hosted its inaugural event, Washington Trumpet Guild Festival, March 16, 2024 at Pierce College’s Puyallup, WA campus.

Guest artists included Schilke Artist Morris Northcutt, clinician Bobby Medina, Puget Brass, Valhalla Brass, Olympia Jazz Senators, and 56 the Army Band’s Bigfoot Brass Band and Trumpet Ensemble.

The WTG Festival was hosted by Shelly Devlin, adjunct trumpet instructor at Pierce College Puyallup, and president of the Washington Trumpet Guild.
This day-long celebration of the trumpet started out with a mass trumpet ensemble rehearsal of “Evergreen Fanfare and Chorale,” a piece commissioned for the event, composed by Al Torres.

Valhalla Brass took the stage next, playing lovely brass quintet arrangements while Bobby Medina presented a lively clinic about the teachings of Jack Stamp. Puget Brass, a British-style brass band, followed up with traditional and contemporary literature. The group’s volunteer players include Ansgar Duemchen, WTG board member.

Olympia Jazz Senators were next up, playing big band arrangements across several genres, and featuring soloists on many different instruments, including bandleader Ben McDonald on trumpet.

After a break for lunch, Northwest Brass Choir, a local youth ensemble founded by WTG board members Zachariah MacIntyre and Rona Sass, played Strauss’s “Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare” to warm up the crowd for the 56 th Army Band’s Bigfoot Brass Band and Trumpet Ensemble. This group from nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord performed everything from
Dixieland to rock to classical. Meanwhile, Morris Northcutt gave his insightful clinic, “Honesty in the Practice Room,” in the recital hall.

The Pacific Lutheran University Trumpet Ensemble played next, conducted by PLU trumpet professor Dr. Zachary Lyman, a member of WTG’s board of directors. They demonstrated professionalism, precision, and panache, paving the way for Schilke Trumpet Performing Artist Morris Northcutt, for whom they opened. Northcutt wowed with tunes from his new Latin album, Moliendo Café, available now on music streaming services.

For the penultimate performance, everyone gathered in the lobby atrium for the Mass Trumpet Ensemble. Composer Al Torres was on hand to witness the triumphant world premiere of his “Evergreen Fanfare and Chorale,” conducted by Dr. Joseph Scott. Back on the main stage for the grand finale, the Pierce College Concert Band performed a full concert, featuring trumpeter Shelly Devlin soloing beautifully on “Centennial Horizon” by Kevin McKee and George Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me.” (Source: Evan Sass)