Trumpet students learn from the best

  Wednesday, October 5, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Nationally and internationally recognized performers, educators and students will gather at Pittsburg State University’s Bicknell Family Center for the Arts Oct. 9-10 for the 2016 Midwest Trumpet Festival. The festival, under the direction of Todd Hastings, is designed as an intensive time of education, recitals and free public concerts.

 

This year, the festival features two guest artists who are recognized throughout the trumpet world, Allan Dean and Claudio Roditi.

 

Dean is a professor of trumpet at the Yale University School of Music and performs with Summit Brass, St. Louis Brass and the Yale Brass Trio. He can be heard playing both modern trumpet and early brass on more than 80 recordings on most major labels including RCA, Columbia, Nonesuch, Summit and others.

 

Grammy nominee Caudio Roditi is a performer, recording artist and teacher who began his musical studies when he was just six years old in his native Brazil. In 1966, at the age of 20, he was named a finalist at the International Jazz Competition in Vienna, Austria. Today, he has more than 24 critically acclaimed albums to his credit.

 

The festival begins at 1 p.m., Sunday, with a presentation by Roditi on “My influences and approach to jazz,” in the Bicknell Center’s Miller Theater. At 7:30 p.m., the Crowder Jazz Orchestra, with Roditi and festival faculty, will present a free public concert in PSU’s McCray Hall.

 

On Monday, students will participate in group ensemble reading sessions, Q&A with the featured artists, an Allan Dean Master Class and a master class for high school students.

 

The festival concludes with a free public concert at 5 p.m. in the Bicknell Center’s Linda & Lee Scott Performance Hall by the faculty artists, featuring guest artist Allan Dean.

 

In addition to Dean and Roditi, the list of guest artist faculty includes Iskander Akhmadullin, associate professor of trumpet at the University of Missouri; Tito Carrillo, jazz trumpet professor at the University of Illinois; Matt Carter, associate professor of music at Independence Community College; David Cooper, associate professor of trumpet at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Freddie Green, assistant professor of music at Missouri Southern State University; Ben Hay, artist instructor and adjunct professor of trumpet at Northeastern State University and Tulsa Community College; Alan Hood, professor of trumpet at the University of Denver; Richard Rulli, associate professor of music at the University of Arkansas; Karl Sievers, professor of trumpet at the University of Oklahoma; Tom Smith, professor of trumpet at Florida SouthWestern State College; and Tim Wootton, adjunct professor of trumpet at Evangel University and Southwest Baptist University.

For more information about the festival, including schedules and bios, go to the PSU Department of Music page, http://www.pittstate.edu/department/music/and click on the concerts and festivals link.