Festival brings best of the trumpet world to Pittsburg

  Wednesday, October 7, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

The annual Midwest Trumpet Festival returns to Pittsburg State University on Oct. 11-12, providing not only an outstanding learning and performance experience for students but also memorable concert offerings for area music lovers.

The free public concerts begin on Sunday, Oct. 11, with a 7:30 p.m. concert in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts by the Crowder Jazz Orchestra, featuring guest artist Bobby Shew and the Midwest Trumpet Festival faculty.

Shew’s credits are extensive, including performances with legends like the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Benny Goodman. He played in top show bands in Las Vegas for seven years and was lead trumpeter for Elvis Presley, Barbara Streisand, Robert Goulet, Steve Allen, Paul Anka, Connie Stevens and Tom Jones.

A three-time Grammy nominee, Shew was honored with the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance and Education from the International Trumpet Guild.

At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, Bill Williams, another trumpet festival guest artist, will perform a concert in the Sharon Kay Dean Recital Hall in McCray Hall.

Williams has performed as principal trumpet and soloist with orchestras and at festivals around the world. He has toured internationally with the San Francisco Symphony, the Berner Symphonieorchester, the Barcelona Symphony and many others.

In addition to his life as a performer, Williams has devoted his career to helping performers better cope with the challenges of performance. In demand internationally as a performance psychology coach, he has a private practice based in Santa Fe, N.M.

The Midwest Trumpet Festival is under the direction of Todd Hastings, a member of the faculty in PSU’s Department of Music. The festival’s mission is to gather leading performers, educators, students, and members of the community for an intensive time of large and small continuing education sessions, master classes, recitals, and concerts.

For more information on the festival, including a complete schedule, visit http://www.pittstate.edu/department/music/midwest-trumpet-festival.dot.