Doc Severinsen,
Special NTC Guest Artist
“Heeeeere’s Johnny!” That lead-in, followed by a big band trumpet blast, was the landmark of late night television for three decades. The ‘Johnny’ was Johnny Carson, the announcer was Ed McMahon and the bandleader was Doc Severinsen. Beginning in October 1962, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson ruled the night air for thirty years. On May 22, 1992, it came to an end……And the Beginning of a New Career for Doc Severinsen.
Within a week of the final telecast, Doc Severinsen and His Big Band was on the road. Doc’s group has been composed of The Tonight Show’s best musicians — Ed Shaughnessy on drums, Ernie Watts on tenor sax and Snooky Young on trumpet. Their repertoire includes Ellington and Basie standards, pop, jazz, ballads, big band classics and, of course, The Tonight Show theme. Audiences are finally able to hear the depth of talent belonging to a band that rarely played a whole tune on the air. Severinsen can blow the roof off with a trumpet solo, but he is not the only accomplished soloist. Many of his band members get their well-deserved turns in the spotlight. Doc’s tour dates are consistently sold out.
Ask Doc about retirement and the answer you will get leaves you with a very clear impression: he is not ready to hang up his horn or his traveling shoes.
Since moving to Mexico at the end of 2006, Doc has kept a busy performance schedule and made new discoveries in very talented musicians from Mexico. Together with Gil Gutierrez he has crafted an innovative and exciting program. It is classical Spanish with a jazz flair, gorgeous ballads, both Latino and American, plus some great movie music and among their best received — gypsy jazz, a la Django Reinhardt. The musicians are virtuosos and combined are electric. Add to this the soaring trumpet of Doc (not to mention his wardrobe!) and the experience is indescribably brilliant.
A Grammy award winner, Doc has made more than 30 albums–from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads. The Very Best of Doc Severinsen reprises fifteen of Doc’s signature pieces. His other recordings include Unforgettably Doc with the Cincinnati Pops on Telarc, and the Grammy nominated Once More With Feeling on Amherst. He received a Grammy Award for “Best Jazz instrumental Performance – Big Band” for his recording of Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band- Volume I. Doc Severinsen and His Big Band/Swingin’ the Blues is his latest release with Ed Shaughnessy and Ernie Watts. In 2007 he released his first recording with Gil and Cartas, Gil + Cartas, En Mi Corazon with Special Guest Doc Severinsen and in 2007 he released Doc Severinsen/Gil&Cartas, El Ritmo de la Vida.
Severinsen’s accomplishments began in his hometown of Arlington, Oregon, population: 600. Carl H Severinsen was born on July 7th, 1927, and was nicknamed “Little Doc” after his father, Dr. Carl Severinsen a dentist. Little Doc had originally wanted to play the trombone. But the senior Severinsen, a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to study the violin. The younger Severinsen insisted on the trombone, but had to settle for the only horn available in Arlington’s small music store — a trumpet. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band. At the age of twelve, Little Doc won the Music Educator’s National Contest and, while still in high school, was hired to go on the road with the famous Ted Fio Rito Orchestra.
However, his stay with the group was cut short by the draft. He served in the Army during World War II and following his discharge, landed a spot with the Charlie Barnett Band. When this band broke up, Severinsen toured with the Tommy Dorsey, then, the Benny Goodman bands in the late 40′s.
After his days with Barnett and Dorsey, Doc arrived in New York City in 1949 to become a staff musician for NBC. After years of playing with the peacock network’s studio bands, Severinsen was invited to do a gig with the highly respected Tonight Show Band. An impressed conductor, Skitch Henderson, asked him to join that band in 1962 as first trumpet. Five years later, Doc took over as Music Director for The Tonight Show and stayed with the show until Johnny Carson retired from late night television in 1992.
Today, Doc has not lost his flair for outrageous fashions and witty banter. Yet, he is highly regarded as one of the most technically proficient trumpeters. Doc has the best stage presence of anyone out there. He can blow a horn like few others…he is a high note virtuoso, a genuinely funny man, and always a fashion fiend.
Somewhere along Doc’s journey from Oregon, to New York, to this evening’s concert, the “Little” was lost, but he remains ageless. Doc Severinsen continues to be a favorite of audiences across America.
Jamey Aebersold
Jamey Aebersold was born July 21, 1939, in New Albany, Indiana. He attended college at Indiana University and graduated in 1962 with a Masters Degree in Saxophone. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by Indiana University in 1992. He also plays piano, bass and banjo.
In 1989, the International Association of Jazz Educators inducted Jamey into their Hall of Fame at the San Diego convention. With this award, Jamey joins other jazz luminaries such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and others.
Jamey is a internationally-known saxophonist and authority on jazz education and improvisation, and has developed a series of Play-A-Longs (book and cd sets (now numbering almost 130 volumes) as well as various other supplemental aids for the development of improvisational skills. The Aebersold book and recording sets allow a musician the opportunity to practice and improvise with well-known jazz personalities at home as well as in the classroom. The recordings employ some of the best jazz musicians in the world. This concept has been responsible for changing the practice habits of thousands of musicians around the world.
Jamey was one of the first to encourage small group classes which concentrate on jazz improvisation, and he is the director of theSummer Jazz Workshops which now have 40+ years on record. Jamey feels that improvisation is something all people can do—and his clinics and lectures concentrate on demonstrating how the creative and spontaneous nature of each person can be brought to light.
These week-long Summer Jazz Workshops are having a profound effect on musical communities around the world. The Workshops have traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, England, Scotland, Denmark and Canada. Every summer there are at least two week-long Workshops in the U.S. These camps employ many of the finest player/teachers in jazz and are open to any serious jazz student regardless of ability or age.
In 2007, Jamey was awarded the Indiana Governor's Arts Award by Mitch Daniels, the Governor of Indiana.
On October 4, 1987, CBS' "Sunday Morning" with Charles Kuralt and Billie Taylor featured Jamey with the Summer Jazz Workshops in an exciting jazz educational segment.
Jamey has taught at three colleges and universities in the Louisville, Kentucky area and has made guest appearances in dozens of cities around the world. While conducting a jazz clinic in Brazil he produced a 110-minute DVD/video appropriately titled "Anyone Can Improvise" which has become a best-seller.
Jamey's hobby is listening to jazz, especially new young players. He also enjoys playing basketball (he has hit 50 free throws in a row!) and is very much interested in Metaphysics and spiritual pursuits as they apply to the growth of the individual. In December 2004, the Jazz Midwest Clinic bestowed upon Jamey the "Medal of Honor" in Jazz Education.
Jamey has been a driving force in America's native art form, Jazz, and continues to kindle the fires of musical imagination in those with whom he comes in contact.
Terry Everson
Cited in the Boston Globe for his “dazzling, clarion brightness with elegant edges” and in the Boston Musical Intelligencer for “virtuosity and musicality that was simply stunning”, trumpeter Terry Everson is an internationally renowned soloist, educator, composer/arranger, conductor, and church musician. He first gained international attention in 1988, winning (on consecutive days) both the Baroque/Classical and 20th Century categories of the inaugural Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Competition, with further success as First Prize laureate of the 1990 Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition. Mr. Everson has premiered numerous major works and has released three complete recordings of numerous notable modern works for trumpet and piano, as well as single entries on two discs devoted to the works of Jan Krzywicki and John Davison; he has also recorded as soloist with the New England Brass Band, the Lexington Brass Band, and as Principal Trumpet of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
In September 1999, Mr. Everson joined the faculty of the Boston University College of Fine Arts and Tanglewood Institute; he has also served on the faculties of Asbury College, the University of Kentucky, Philadelphia College of Bible, the Las Vegas Music Festival, and the Lutheran Music Program. He is currently Principal Trumpet of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) and Peninsula Music Festival, and Soprano Cornetist of the Brass Band of Battle Creek. He appears frequently as a recitalist and clinician, and as soloist with orchestras, wind ensembles and brass bands. His extensive concert experience also ranges from appearances in the Boston Symphony & Pops to conductor of the Costa Rica National Symphony Brass & Percussion.
An active church musician for over three decades, Mr. Everson has been Minister of Music for congregations in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, as well as his current home at Metro Church in Marlborough, MA.
Much of his compositional output derives its basis from hymnody and related materials, such as his trumpet ensembles Ponder Anew and There’s a Great Day Coming, the Christmas carol setting Once in Royal David’s City for bass trombonist Douglas Yeo and the New England Brass Band, and his Hyfrydol Aspects for trumpet and piano written for his son Peter. Mr. Everson has also written competition pieces for the Boston University Trumpet Ensemble, whose performances of Idea Number Twenty-Four and There and Back Again have won prizes in the National Trumpet Competition in Washington, DC.
While earning Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Trumpet Performance from the Ohio State University, Mr. Everson studied with Richard Burkart; lessons with Frank Kaderabek followed over the next few years. Mr. Everson is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society. Mr. Everson is on the Executive Board of the National Trumpet Competition, the Board of Directors of Metro Church, is an Honorary Member of the New England Brass Band, and is a Life Member of the International Trumpet Guild, having served as Host for the Guild's 1998 Conference in Lexington, Kentucky. He has published articles in the ITG Journal on preparation for solo competitions and memorization, and for six years was the journal's Music Notation Specialist. In 2008, he hosted the Ellsworth Smith Competition at Boston University.
Terry Everson is an Artist/Clinician for S.E. Shires Trumpets of Hopedale, MA.
Jens Lindemann
Jens Lindemann is hailed as one of the most celebrated soloists in his instrument's history and was recently named "International Brass Personality of the Year" (Brass Herald). Jens has played in every major concert venue in the world: from the Philharmonics of New York, Los Angeles, London, and Berlin to Tokyo's Suntory Hall and even the Great wall of China. His career has ranged from appearing internationally as an orchestral soloist, performing at London's 'Last Night of the Proms', recording with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to playing lead trumpet with the renowned Canadian Brass and a solo Command Performance for the Queen of England. Jens has also won major awards ranging from Grammy and Juno nominations to winning the prestigious Echo Klassik in Germany as well as receiving an honorary doctorate.
Classically trained at the renowned Juilliard School in New York, Jens' proven ability to perform as a diverse artist places him at the front of a new generation of musicians. He has performed as soloist and recording artist with classical stars such as Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Angel Romero, Doc Severinsen, Charles Dutoit, Gerard Schwarz, Eiji Oue, Bramwell Tovey and Jukka Pekka Saraste. Having recorded for BMG, EMI , CBC and the BBC, Jens is helping to redefine the idea of the concert artist by transcending stylistic genres and the very stereotype of his instrument by performing with "impeccable attacks, agility and amazing smoothness" (The Clarin, Buenos Aires).
A prodigious talent, Jens Lindemann performed as a soloist with orchestras and won accolades at numerous festivals while still in his teens. A prizewinner at numerous competitions including the prestigious ARD in Munich, Jens also placed first, by unanimous juries, at both the Prague and Ellsworth Smith (Florida) International Trumpet Competitions in 1992. Since then, he has performed solos with orchestras including, the London Symphony, Philadelphia, Beijing, Bayersicher Rundfunk, Buenos Aires Chamber, Atlanta, Washington, Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Montreal, Toronto, national Arts Centre, Vancouver, Warsaw, Welsh Chamber, I Musici de Montreal, St. Louis, and Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center.
Heralded internationally as an outstanding artist, critics have stated: "He played with golden timbre and virtuosic flair" (New York Times)", "a world-class talent" (Los Angeles Times), "it was one of the most memorable recitals in International Trumpet Guild history" (ITG), "performed brilliantly in the North American premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Concerto with the Toronto Symphony" (Toronto Star), and "he gave the virtuoso highlight of the evening with the Montreal Symphony".
As one of the world's most exciting trumpet soloists, Los Angeles based Lindemann is internationally endorsed by the Yamaha Corporation and performs exclusively on 24K gold plated trumpets.
"The trumpet is capable of being played with the virtuosity of a violin, the tenderness of the human voice and the stylistic flexibility of the piano. It allows me an endless range of communication with audiences." - Jens Lindemann
Thomas Hooten
The Principal Trumpet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Hooten was born in Tampa, Florida. He earned his bachelor of music degree from the University of South Florida and a Master’s of Music from Rice University. His primary trumpet teachers have included Armando Ghitalla, John Hagstrom, and Don Owen.
In 2000, Mr. Hooten won a trumpet/cornet position with "The President's Own" Marine Band in Washington, D.C., where he was often a featured soloist. While living in the D.C area Hooten was active in chamber and orchestral music and performed with such groups as The National Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony, Washington Symphonic Brass, Arlington and Baltimore Symphonies. While still in the Marine Band Hooten won 2nd trumpet with the Richmond (VA) Symphony and continued to work with them through 2004.
Following his four year enlistment in the Marine Band, he became Assistant Principal Trumpet with the Indianapolis Symphony - a position that he held for two years. While still in Indianapolis, Hooten won auditions for principal trumpet in both Houston and Atlanta. Mr. Hooten has appeared as soloist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra on Bach’s Bradenburg Concerto #2, The Atlanta Symphony as well as with The Keystone Winds at both the International Trumpet Guild conference and the WASBE conventions.Mr. Hooten has given master classes and recitals throughout the United States including Indiana University and Illinois State University. Since 2006, Mr. Hooten can be heard on numerous Atlanta Symphony recordings on the Telarc label - including Scriabin’s Poeme of Ecstasy and Gandolfi’s Garden of Cosmic Speculation.
Rhythm & Brass
"Beyond Category" was a term the great Duke Ellington used as the highest form of praise for those artists who transcended normal boundaries. Since their inaugural season in 1993, Rhythm & Brasshas lived up to the ideal of a musical presentation that is not bound by time, geography or culture. With the unique ability to incorporate influences as divergent as Josquin Des Prez, Pink Floyd, John Coltrane, Johann Sebastian Bach, and, of course, Duke Ellington, Rhythm & Brass searches for the commonality in these influences and fearlessly weaves them all into a single concert experience.Rhythm & Brass, in addition to its standard concerts, has also performed at numerous special events including a 1994 New York concert debut at Carnegie Recital Hall with celebrated jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker. Commissions ha
ve been premiered at Chicago's Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic and the national convention of the Music Educator's National Conference. R&B has also been featured at the New York Brass Conference, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, the Raphael Mendez Brass Institute, Kentucky's Great American Brass Band Festival, the National Trumpet Competition and the National Association of Music Merchants Convention in Los Angeles. Internationally, Rhythm & Brass has concertized in Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, the Virgin Islands and Thailand. R&B was featured at the 2010 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Sydney, Australia.
Song & Dance (1994), the group's first CD on d'Note Records, is an immensely versatile program of works from the 17th century composer Samuel Scheidt to the World Premiere recording of “Dance Suite” by Leonard Bernstein, his last composed work. Their second album, Time in September(1995), includes original jazz compositions by R&B members and features award winning guitarist Gene Bertoncini as well as a commissioned work by the Grammy Nominated composer Maria Schneider. Christmas Time is Here (1996) was hailed by the national press as one of the most creative recordings for the holiday season. R&B's recording More Money Jungle. . .Ellington Explorations (1998), on the KochJazz label, celebrates the centenary (1999) of one of America's most significant composers and musical ambassadors, Duke Ellington. The album was described byEntertainment Weekly as "...smart and deliciously off-centered..." and was named by the New York Times as "Album of the Week" (May 7, 1999). Rhythm & Brass has been featured on "BET on Jazz" (Black Entertainment Television) performing several segments of the Ellington album. Sitting in an English Garden Waiting for the Sun, is an outrageous salute to the British invasion and includes music by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. Rhythm & Brass most recently released “Inside the Blue Suitcase” featuring original compositions from within the group.
The members of Rhythm & Brass maintain an active involvement in music education. The group is often found at major educators conferences and in residence at universities throughout the nation as well as summer music camps and festivals such as Bands of America and the Brevard Music Center. After several years of full-time touring together, the members of Rhythm & Brass have each found a home in various university music programs: Charles Villarrubia (tuba): Senior Lecturer in chamber music at the University of Texas—Austin; David Gluck (percussion): Chair of Studio Composition, State University of New York—Purchase; Alex Shuhan: Associate Professor of Horn, Ithaca College;Rex Richardson: Associate Professor of Trumpet and Jazz Trumpet, Virginia Commonwealth University; Tom Brantley; Associate Professor of Trombone, University of South Florida; Wiff Rudd: Professor of Trumpet/Brass Area Coordinator, Baylor University.
Rhythm & Brass is a Yamaha Performing Ensemble.
Rex Richardson
Hailed as “one of the world’s most engaging and astonishingly versatile trumpeters,” (Style Weekly) Yamaha Performing Artist Rex Richardson is one of the busiest crossover trumpeters on the international scene. Due to his strong commitment to performance and education, coupled with his passion for the a rts, Rex Richardson has been named “Personality of The Year” by the Brass Herald.
A veteran of the acclaimed chamber ensemble Rhythm & Brass, jazz legend Joe Henderson’s Quintet and Sextet, William Russo’s Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and the Brass Band of Battle Creek, known as the world’s “Rolls Royce of Brass Bands” (Brass Band World), he stays busy as a headline artist at international brass and jazz festivals and as a soloist with orchestras, concert bands, brass bands and jazz ensembles.
Since the early 90s he has worked with countless celebrity artists in multiple genres, developing a unique reputation in the trumpet world for his combination of singular virtuosity, a highly personal style, and an emphasis on improvisation in classical as well as jazz idioms. A tireless champion of new music, Richardson presented the premiere performances of concertos by Dana Wilson, Doug Richards and Peter Meechan on four continents between 2006 and 2010. 2010-2011 will see the Australian, Brazilian, Swedish and American premieres of Stephenson’s Trumpet Concerto no. 2, “Rextreme.”
Richardson is Professor of Trumpet and Jazz Trumpet at Virginia Commonwealth University and served as Artist in Residence at London’s Trinity College of Music from 2006-2009. His five solo recordings, including the most recent “Magnum Opus: 21st Century Trumpet Concertos” are released on Summit Records.
Wiff Rudd
Wiff Rudd, a native Texan from San Antonio, joined the faculty of Baylor University’s School of Music in 2002 as Professor of Trumpet and Brass Division Coordinator. From 1998-2002 he was Associate Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas, principal trumpet of the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Boston Mountain Chamber Players. He served as Assistant Professor of Music at Oklahoma Baptist University from 1978-1985 and performed regularly with the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra. Wiff received music degrees from Baylor University (BME) and the University of Northern Colorado (MM). His primary mentors include Ron Fox, William Pfund, and the late Michael Ewald and Larry Skinner.
From 1985-1993 Wiff toured internationally with the Dallas Brass and is a founding member (1993) of
Rhythm & Brass. He is a member of the Baylor Brass, principal trumpet of the Waco Symphony and performs on occasion with the symphony orchestras of Dallas, Houston and Harrisburg. An active soloist, he collaborates often with orchestras and bands. He performed the New York premiere of Joseph Turrin’s Chronicles for Trumpet and Wind Symphony in Carnegie Hall and has often been a featured soloist at the annual Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.
Wiff Rudd has performed in concert and presented clinics/master classes at more than 250 colleges, universities, and conservatories across the country and abroad. He has also appeared at the New York Brass Conference, the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute, Bands of America, the Brevard Music Center, the Great American Brass Band Festival, ITG and NTC conferences, MENC national and regional conventions, and the Music Educators Associations of Georgia, Oklahoma, Montana, Minnesota, Florida, Iowa, Texas, and New York. He has adjudicated for the International Trumpet Guild and National Trumpet Competition Solo Competition Finals, the Louisiana Trumpet Solo Competition, and the State Solo Contests of Oklahoma and Texas.
In 2009, he performed, taught and served as the judges’ chair for the Concurso y Festival Nacional Inter-Universitario de Trompeta in Bogata, Colombia and presented a series of classes at the Brussels Conservatory in Belgium. In 2010 he performed in Sydney, Australia with Rhythm & Brass (ITG) and returned to Belgium for a series of solo appearances with brass bands and master classes in various conservatories and Academies. His students have been enthusiastically involved with the National Trumpet Competition since 2008 with a solo finalist (2008), a 4th place ensemble (2009), two ensembles advancing to the finals (2011) with one placing 1st in the Division.
In 2010 Mr. Rudd received Baylor’s Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching and was named that year’s Centennial Professor, which included a grant for his research project focusing on collaborative practice techniques. An honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Mr. Rudd is also affiliated with Pi Kappa Lambda, the International Trumpet Guild, and the Texas Music Educators Association. He has been an Artist/Clinician for the Yamaha Corporation of America since 1988.
Jose Sibaja
Jose Sibaja is one of the most highly acclaimed Costa Rican trumpet players of his generation with worldwide audiences and broadcast media in the Classical, Latin, Jazz, and Pop musical genres. His career ranges from international appearances as an orchestral soloist with Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica Venezuela, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Costa Rica, to worldwide tours with Ricky Martin for the Vuelve and Living la Vida Loca tours. Currently, Jose plays lead trumpet with the world renowned Boston Brass.
Receiving his musical training at the New World School of the Arts and the University of Miami, Jose’s vast musical repertoire and his masterful artistry make him a prominent figure in a new generation of musicians. He has held positions as principal trumpet with the Miami Symphony, the Sinfonieta de Caracas and Orquesta Sinfonica Venezuela, as well as a position with the Dallas Brass.
With televised performances on the American Music
Awards, the MTV Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Latin Grammy Awards shows as well as appearances on Conan O’Brian, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman and numerous television appearances in more that 40 countries; Jose’s talents are not limited to live audience performances. Having recorded with such artists as Ricky Martin, Alejandor Sanz, Luis Enrique, Rey Ruiz, Tito Nieves, Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan among others; Jose Sibaja redefines the idea of a concert artist with a rich mix of stylistic genres surpassing the very stereotype of today's classical musician. Most currently Mr. Sibaja can be heard with the Boston Brass on their Latin Nights CD.
Having held a faculty position at Carabobo Conservatory in Valencia, Venezuela; Mr. Sibaja currently serves as a clinician with the Boston Brass for the Jupiter Company, giving master classes as an Educational Ambassador worldwide. Proclaimed internationally as “a major young talent, the next Wynton Marsalis”, Jose played his solo debut at age 17 with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and only five years of trumpet and music training.
Jose Sibaja is indeed one of the world’s most unique trumpet soloists.
Sam Pilafian, founding member of the Empire Brass, past President of the International Tuba Euphonium Association and Professor of Music at Arizona State University states: "Jose Sibaja is a trumpet artist uniquely positioned to be the most influential player of our time. His artistry is a unique blend of stylistic influences...Whether traveling the world with Boston Brass, at the highest level of classical orchestral and solo performance or his storied Latin and Jazz career; live and in the recording studios with the major stars of our time...that's Jose!”
James Thompson
James Thompson is Professor of Trumpet at the renowned Eastman School of Music. He came to this position having played Principal Trumpet in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since September 1990. He has held corresponding positions with the Phoenix Symphony, the Orchestra of the State of Mexico, the National Symphony of Mexico, and for 14 years, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He is in addition currently Solo trumpet of the Orchestra Toscanini under the direction of Loren Mazel.Born in Frankfurt, Germany, he was raised in Phoenix, Arizona where he began trumpet studies at the age of ten. His principal teachers included Richard Longfield and Roger Voisin.
Mr. Thompson has been active both as a soloist and a teacher. He has taught trumpet and Brass Ensemble at Northern Arizona University, the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has also performed as soloist with orchestras in North and South America as well as Europe. In 1979 he competed in the first Maurice Andre International Trumpet Competition and was a prizewinner. He has made recital tours to Japan, Australia Canada, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Latin America. He has also been a guest artist with the Summit Brass, a brass chamber ensemble made up of members from America¹s finest orchestras, and Chicago¹s Music of the Baroque. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Opening Ceremonies he was seen performing a jazz/gospel trumpet solo on television more than 3 billion people. In the last year he has performed as guest Principal Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the Baltimore Symphony.
Mr. Thompson has also actively encouraged new compositions for the trumpet. In 1987 he performed the world premiere of Malcolm Forsyth¹s Concerto for Trumpet, which was written for him and the Montreal Symphony.
He has recorded this concerto with the Kitchener-Waterloo Orchestra for CBC Records in May 1992. In 1990 he performed the Quebec premier of Jacques Hetu¹s Trumpet Concerto, and in March of 1992 he gave the world premier of the Glenn Buhr Concerto for Trumpet, also written for him and the Montreal Symphony. Mr. Thompson can be heard on London Decca recordings with the Montreal Symphony, and Telarc¹s Atlanta Symphony releases. He has also recorded on the Chandos Label in performances, which include, Vivaldi¹s Concerto for Two Trumpets, and the critically acclaimed Shostakovich Concerto #1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings. In addition he has recorded with the Eastman Wind Ensemble new works for trumepet and Wind Ensemble entitled Danzon.
Mr. Thompson is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Allen Vizzutti
“Beautiful…lyrical…stunning…stupifying." “Trumpet player supreme.” Syracuse Post Standard
“Finely tuned wind, easy control, polyharmonic wit, orchestral penmanship, punctuated spiritual warmth…rarely do so many qualities find themselves in one musician.” Chick Corea
Equally at home in a multitude of musical idioms, Allen Vizzutti has visited 40 countries and every state in the union to perform with a rainbow of artists and ensembles including Chick Corea, 'Doc' Severinsen, the NBC Tonight Show Band, the Airmen Of Note, the Army Blues and Army Symphony Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, Woody Herman, Japan’s NHK Orchestra and the New Tokyo Philharmonic, the Budapest Radio Orchestra, , the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Leipzig Wind Symphony and the Kosie Wind Orchestra. Performing as a classical and a jazz artist, often in the same evening, he has appeared as guest soloist with symphony orchestras in Tokyo, Germany, St. Louis, Seattle, Rochester N.Y., Syracuse, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Phoenix, Edmonton, Vancouver and Winnipeg to name a few. Music lovers in Germany, Poland, England, Sweden, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Australia and the United States have heard his brilliant sound over the airwaves of national television. Allen's status as an artist has led to solo performances at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Newport Jazz Festival, Banff Center for the Performing Arts, Montreaux Jazz Festival, the Teton, Vail, Aspen and Brechenridge Music Festivals, the Charles Ives Center and Lincoln Center in New York City.
From his home in Seattle, Washington, Allen’s current career activities embody an impressive schedule of recitals, concerts, recording and composing. His continued commitment to music education and the value of music in everyday life results in an extensive schedule of guest appearances at universities throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Australia.
Allen's solo jazz recordings include CDs such as “Trumpet Summit” and “Skyrocket” from Summit Records. Classical CDs currently available from DeHaske Music Publishing Recordings are “The Emerald Concerto and Other Gems”, with the Budapest Radio Orchestra, “Vizzutti Plays Vizzutti” and “Vizzutti and Soli On Tour”. His “High Class Brass”, (also DeHaske Recordings), is a wonderfully unique classical and jazz blend co-produced, co-written and performed with fellow trumpet artist, composer and conductor, Jeff Tyzik along with a 90 piece studio orchestra. Also of interest are “Baroque and Beyond”, from Sony, “The Carnival of Venus”, (Summit Records), and “A Trumpeter’s Dream, (Ludwig Music Publishing).
As Artist in Residence, Allen has taught at the Eastman School of Music, the Banff Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas State University, Ohio State University, West Texas State University, the Skidmore Jazz Institute, and the Trompeten Akademie of Bremen Germany. He is currently ‘Artist In Residence’ at the University of Washington. His extensive treatise, “The Allen Vizzutti Trumpet Method” and his “New Concepts for Trumpet”, (Alfred Music Publishing), have become standards works for trumpet study world wide. Many more of Allen’s jazz and classical books, play along recordings, and student and recital compositions are published by DeHaske/Hal Leonard, Southern Music, and Ars Nova. His writing includes solo pieces for flute, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, tuba, and harp, chamber groups, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, and symphony orchestra.
Allen’s love of expression through composition has led to premier performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Budapest Radio Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic of London, the Nuremberg Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony, London Symphony, the renowned Summit Brass and others. After the world premier of his “Emerald Concerto” with the Syracuse Symphony Allen’s writing was described in review: “The Emerald Concerto sparkles!...a vivacious treatment which speaks well for both his dramatic instinct and technical prowess as a composer.”
While growing up in Montana, Allen was taught by his father, a self taught musician and trumpet player, until he left home to attend the Eastman School of Music on full scholarship. There he earned the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, a Performer’s Certificate, a chair in the Eastman Brass Quintet faculty ensemble, and the only Artist’s Diploma ever awarded a wind player in Eastman’s 85 year history.
While living in Los Angeles during the 80’s, Allen performed on over 100 motion picture sound tracks, (such as Back To The Future and Star Trek), as well as countless TV shows, commercials and recordings with such artists as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Chick Corea, the Commodores and Prince. His soaring sounds can be heard on recent projects including the movies “40 Days and 40 Nights”, “Unfaithfully Yours”, Gridiron Gang”, “Scary Movie Four”, and the “Medal of Honor” and “Halo II” video games.
The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own"
The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” has been the premier musical organization of the U.S. Army since 1922. Army Chief of Staff General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing founded the band, emulating European military bands he had heard during the First World War. “Pershing’s Own” continues to play an important role in events of national and international significance, and leads every inaugural parade, a tradition begun in 1925 with the inauguration of President Calvin Coolidge.The U.S. Army Band became widely known during its early years for radio broadcasts featured on several networks. During World War II, the band was ordered overseas and performed throughout North Africa and Europe, becoming at that time the only Washington-based band to participate in a theater of war. Over the years, the band has expanded in scope and diversity, consisting of over 270 personnel and eight official ensembles: The U.S. Army Concert Band, The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, The U.S. Army Strings, The U.S. Army Blues (jazz ensemble), The U.S. Army Chorus, The U.S. Army Band Downrange (rock band), The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, and The U.S. Army Brass Quintet. Elements combine to create an orchestra, a woodwind quintet, a contemporary music ensemble, and myriad small chamber ensembles and combos.
Today the musicians of “Pershing’s Own” render musical honors on a regular basis for foreign dignitaries, heads of state, diplomats, and high-ranking military officers. The unit was honored to participate in the state funeral of former President Ronald Reagan in 2004 and former President Gerald R. Ford in 2006. Ensembles have performed across the country in such notable venues as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Each December since 2001, members of “Pershing’s Own” have traveled overseas with the Sergeant Major of the Army’s Hope and Freedom tour, providing entertainment for Soldiers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The U.S. Army Band plays a vital role in music education, often serving as the featured group at prominent music conferences and conventions throughout the nation and abroad. Elements of the organization regularly provide musical outreach to schools in the Washington, DC, area.
Ensembles of The U.S. Army Band perform outdoor concerts during the summer months on the West Steps of the U.S. Capitol and around the Washington area. Throughout May and June, “Pershing’s Own” and the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) also present “Twilight Tattoo,” a military pageant that tells the history of the U.S. Army. During the cooler months, concerts and recitals are presented in local, indoor venues and inside Brucker Hall, The U.S. Army Band’s home, located on historic Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia.
The U.S. Army Blues
The U.S. Army Blues, part of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Army. After beginning informally in 1970, this 18-piece ensemble became an official part of the Army Band in 1972. Comprised of exceptional jazz musicians from across the nation, the Army Blues strives to fulfill its mission through public concerts, educational outreach, and preserving the tradition of America’s unique art form: jazz.The Army Blues has performed at prestigious venues such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the famous Birdland jazz club in New York City, and the legendary Blues Alley club in Washington, DC. The band has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck, Doc Severinsen, Stanley Turrentine, Slide Hampton, Dr. Billy Taylor, Kevin Mahogany, and Terrell Stafford. The Army Blues also gives frequent performances at national conferences such as the Jazz Education Network annual conference, the International Trumpet Guild conference, the International Trombone Festival, and the Music Educators National Conference. The musicians of the Army Blues perform regularly at the White House, the Vice President’s Residence, the State Department, and high level military protocol and ceremonial events in the Washington, DC, area. This ensemble also plays a vital role in Army recruiting as part of the Twilight Tattoo performances seen by thousands in the Washington, DC area each summer. Several members of the Army Blues have played for Habitat for Humanity volunteers in New Orleans during the cleanup efforts following Hurricane Katrina. In conjunction with the USO and the office of the Sergeant Major of the Army, individual members of the band volunteer to travel to Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan during the holiday season to perform concerts for the troops stationed there.
Members of the Army Blues are very active in educational outreach. Serving as musical ambassadors, the band has conducted numerous clinics and workshops at universities throughout the United States. In partnership with local schools, members of the Army Blues work with young musicians focusing on jazz education. Each summer the Army Blues is the jazz band in residence at the National Jazz Workshop, a week-long summer camp at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. Here, students spend a week playing and studying jazz as they receive both group and individual instruction from members of the Army Blues. In partnership with the Library of Congress, the Army Blues plays seldom-performed yet historically significant music from the jazz archives of the Library of Congress.
In 2007, to celebrate the band’s 35th anniversary, the band recorded a double CD album called Blues at Thirty-Five. This album won two Washington Area Music Awards (“Wammies”) in the categories of Best Big Band Group and Best Big Band Recording. The group’s most recent recording, Live at Blues Alley, features many new compositions by members of the band.