News

The next generation of trombone soloists are invited to compete in the Christian Lindberg Solo Competition in Valencia this April. With the likes of Lindberg, Joe Alessi, Jörgen van Rijen and Michel Becquet on the panel and €6000 and a raft of concerto appearances on the cards, it is certainly attracting a great deal of prestige.

Jury: Christian Lindberg, chairman, Joe Alessi, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Jörgen van Rijen, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Michel Becquet, soloist and professor at the Lyon Conservatory, Salvatore Tarraso, Valencia Symphony Orchestra, Ferrer Ferran, composer, Justo Romero, dramaturg at the Valencia Opera House, Daniel Perpina, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra.

The winner will receive €6000, a brand new Christian Lindberg Conn 88HCL trombone, three solo concerts in the Valencia region, plus subscription series solo concerts with the Nordic Chamber Orchestra and the Swedish Wind Ensemble.

Competition: 2-5 April 2008

Competition solo repertoire:
Lindberg: Joe Jack Binglebandit
L. Mozart: Concerto
Tomasi: Concerto
Ferrer Ferran (final): Concerto for Trombone and Wind Orchestra

To register for the competition, write to: M Dolores Rivera (mdrivera@riveramusica.com).
Full information on Christian Lindberg’s website.

The Don Lusher Solo Competition, for melodic ballad playing by trombonists up to the age of 22, has attracted a lot of interest since its launch by the BTS last year. The recordings submitted by entrants last month will be judged by Gordon Campbell, Mark Nightingale and Bill Geldard, and the final round will be held at the BTS day at Warwick school on 4th May. The winner will receive a trophy from Diana Lusher and a professional model trombone from Yamaha UK.

A pair of free tickets to see Michael Bolton during his UK tour is being offered by the BTS to one lucky winner. A treat for big band fans, Bolton’s show focuses on Frank Sinatra classics, and his band includes a three piece horn section, including trombonist Carol Jarvis.

Please note that entry to this competition is now closed.

The lucky winner is Clare Humphreys!

Full details of concerts at michaelbolton.com

Jul. 13, 2007 Medway Castle Concerts, Rochester Castle Gardens, Medway, Kent
Jul. 15, 2007 Manchester Apollo, Manchester
Jul. 17, 2007 Villa Marina, Isle of Man
Jul. 19, 2007 Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Jul. 21, 2007 Plymouth Pavilion, Plymouth
Jul. 23, 2007 Colston Hall, Bristol

Competition rules:
* Strictly one entry per person * Prizes are non-transferable and there is no cash alternative * No BTS officers, regional representatives or those on the executive board may enter the competition * The BTS reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value at any time * Entrants are responsible for any travel or other expenses for making use of the prize * The BTS cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the competition or as a result of accepting any prize * The BTS reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition or these rules at any time without prior notice * These rules apply to entry of the Michael Bolton competition.

The Ni Ensemble has won the International Brass Ensemble Competition in Passau. The brass quintet includes trombonist Leon Ni, who now plays for the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and has lived in Britain for several years. Until three years ago he was Principal Trombone at Scottish Opera and before that in 1999/2000 he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he originally established the ensemble.

Ni Ensemble with Passau cultural attache Dr. Max Brunner (l) and head judge Frigyes Hidas (r)

The jury headed by Hungarian composer Frigyes Hidas, awarded the quintet not only first prize in the professional section, but also a special prize for best interpretation of an original piece for brass ensemble for Victor Ewald’s Quintet No. 2. The rest of their programme included Lutoslawki’s Mini Overture, Kerry Turner’s Ricochet, and Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Second place went to the Extreme Trombone Quartet from Hungary and third place went to L’Or Notes Brass Quintet from Paris.

The ensemble is comprised of Heather Madeira Ni (trumpet), Isabelle Marois (trumpet with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg), Kristina Mascher (solo horn with the Flemish Radio Orchestra), Leon Ni (solo trombone with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg) and David Polkinhorn (solo tuba with the Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra). Each of these players lives either in or near Luxembourg and, while none is Luxembourgeois, the group includes three Americans, one Canadian, and one Englishman - each very happy to be residing in this small, but culturally wealthy, country. The group wanted to thank Kerry Turner in public for his support, advice, and music during preparation for the competition.

BTS News caught up with Leon Ni to find out how thing have been going for him personally in Luxembourg since leaving Scotland.

I’ve been doing well, thanks, and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg has been a really nice job. I’ve really enjoyed the international flavour of the orchestra as we have musicians from all over Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The trombone section itself is half French and half American. The mix of nationalities gives the orchestra a really unique and interesting sound.

Since my arrival here, we’ve got a new musical director, Emmanuel Krivine, and a beautiful new concert hall. I have to say that I’m quite happy here. The orchestra plays at a high level and is filled with wonderful, talented, and sympathetic colleagues.

I think the hardest thing to adapt to here is the languages. Over the years, I will have the learn the three official languages of the country: French, German and Luxembourgeois. I’ve reached a conversational level in French and am just starting to study a little bit of German. I am probably a good five or six years off being able to have conversations in all three! Luckily for my children, they probably will adapt much faster as they can already speak Luxembourgeois at a good level.

Trombonists dominated the prizes in this weekend’s British Open Solo and Quartet Championships 2006 held in Dunkinfield, Greater Manchester.

Although the top prize was one by baritone player Katrina Marzella, trombonists Philip Dias and Gregor Stewart came second and third in the Senior Solo Final.

Philip Dias, who was the overall winner last year and is now a post-graduate student at the Royal College of Music having completed studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, collected £250 and the Association of Band Tarders Shield.

The Margaret Mortimer trophy for Best Trombone in the preliminary round was awarded to Gregor Stewart who plays for Bo’ness & Carriden Band in Scotland. For his third place overall he received the Bill Gaskell Shield and £150.

In the Intermediate Slow Melody Contest, Aldbourne Band trombonist Stephen Sykes won and took away with him the David Brunsden Trophy and £300 worth of tuition. Third place went to trombonist Chris Mansfield of Innovate Skelmanthorpe Band and Chethams, who received the William Halliwell Trophy and £100 worth of tuition.

And in the Junior Slow Melody Contest, the winner was a trombonist: Peter Moore from Wingates Band, who retains his title from last year, including the NWCBBA Trophy and £300 worth of tuition.

Lancier Brass are celebrating their latest prize, this time courtesy of the Tunnell Trust for Young Musicians. Already this year, the young brass quintet, with trombonist Matt Gee, has won the Royal Over-Seas League Chamber Competition and performed a Purcell Room recital having won a place in the Park Lane Series.

Following auditioning against other young chamber ensembles, the judges from the Tunnell Trust have awarded them five professional music club recitals in venues across Scotland. The two other ensembles selected are string quartets.

We make a point of offering concerts to Music Clubs even in small and remote places the length and breadth of Scotland and winners must be prepared to undergo the rigours of a Scottish winter.

Tunnell Trust

It is six years since brass quintet Lancier Brass formed from players studying in London, and now two of their members - Matt Gee and horn player Rebecca Hill have recently won positions at Scottish Opera.

Following the success of the Guildhall-based Spitfire Trombone Quartet yesterday, the two other Brits in the finals of the International Trombone Festival comptetitions were successful in beating young trombonists from around the world.

Matt Knight and Andrew Connington, flushed with success at the ITF

Andrew Connington, student at the Royal Academy of Music, won the Larry Wiehe/King Trombone Competition for his rendition of Arthur Pryor’s Air Varie. Andrew takes home a brand new King 3B in reward for his success. The competition category features trombonists aged 23 and under, in a performance of an Arthur Pryor work.

In addition, Matt Knight who is studying Music at Cambridge University, won the Robert Marsteller/Bach-Conn Trombone Competition. Matt won praise for his performance of John Kenny’s Fanfare and Buxton Orr’s Trombone Concerto from the judges who included Ian Bousfield and the piece’s dedicatee, Denis Wick. This competition category is for performing a standard piece of trombone repertoire, open to students aged 22 and under and Matt takes home the prize of a new Conn 88H.

Both are currently students of Dudley Bright, Principal Trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra.

Flying the British flag at the International Trombone Festival competitions yesterday were the Spitfire Trombone Quartet from Guildhall coached by Eric Crees who were awarded the winning prize in the annual Quartet Competition. Playing Bruckner’s Locus Iste and Gary Carpenter’s Secret Love Songs, the four students aged 20-22 were successful in competition from quartets from Rotterdam and Budapest in the final held in the Adrian Boult Hall. The judges Don Lucas and Gary Carpenter award the prize following the 9am competition on the first day of the festival. Carpenter said later that the British quartet had:

“given a real performance full of risk taking. They won because they had a feel for the architecture - a sense of the over-arching form”

Spitfires celebrate after winning the $1000 prize ITA Quartet Competition. (l-r Chris Gill, Matt Eckland, Jon Watkins, Richard Watkin

Richard Watkin, Jon Watkins and Matt Eckland have recently completed their 3rd and 4th years at the Guildhall School of Music, studying with Eric Crees and Simon Wills. Chris Gill has just finished his 4th year at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Bob Hughes.

British medal hopes continue in competitions today with two of Dudley Bright’s students, Andrew Connington and Matt Knight.

Dennis Rollins’ Badbone & Co has been been awarded the prestigious Best Band award in the BBC Jazz Awards 2006. The announcement last Thursday was followed by programmes on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 over the weekend featuring the winning artists, which are available to hear on-line until this weekend.

The Independent newspaper has a spirited interview with Dennis Rollins about the award and sings the praises of the trombone.

Rollins cites the section break-out in Sinatra’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin (on Songs For Swinging Lovers) as one of the most thrilling moments in trombone history. Riddle scores the thing like a mini-concerto for an entire trombone section, climaxing with a solo, while the rest of the orchestra heaves subordinately at the limits of tasteful control. “Vooh-dah,” sings Dennis. “Va-doh va-doh va-doh-vung… rrraaaargh - oh, the warmth, the attack, the tone, the sheer balls of it… Even now, thinking about it, I tell you, that is one of the most beautiful sounds there is.” His eyes are shining. My heart is fit to burst.

This weekend, Rollins can be heard in East Sussex, Crawley and Nottingham. See his website and giglist for further information.

Sunday 11 June 2006 saw the final of the BTS Jiggs Whigham Jazz Trombone Competition at Uppingham School. This was the Society’s first competition for many years and was hosted by BTS Education Officer and Head of Brass at Uppingham School, Stewart Drummond. The venue was the Recital Room in Uppingham’s impressive new Music School, which was an ideal venue in every way.

The adjudicators were Jiggs Whigham, Jeremy Price (Head of Jazz Studies at Birmingham Conservatoire and jazz trombonist), Stewart Drummond and Chris Houlding (principal trombone, Opera North and senior trombone tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music). The competitors were accompanied by an excellent trio consisting of Alan Savage (drums), Zoltan Dekany (bass) and Jason Ashworth (piano).

Five finalists came to Rutland and they were all treated to an afternoon of workshops given by Jiggs and Jeremy. Elements of improvisation and performing skills were covered in opening talks by each of the two educators, followed by a masterclass, which gave each finalist an opportunity to perform and have their improvisation skills honed by Jiggs and Jeremy.

The more formal element of the competition took place in the evening, when the competitors each performed their set works: a standard tune and a blues, both to include set numbers of improvised choruses. The adjudicators sat amongst the audience to listen to the whole concert and withdrew at the end to consider their verdicts, whilst the trio entertained both audience and competitors.

The judges decided to award two prizes, the first prize to be the Jiggs Whigham King 2B Trombone and a lesson with Jiggs at the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham, the second prize a lesson with Jiggs at the International Trombone Festival. The panel also gave honorable mention to the three remaining finalists.

Results
First Prize: Robbie Harvey
Second Prize: Tom White

Honorable Mentions
Ben Deerey, Kieran Joy and Alistair Burrows