Michael Anderson is the recently retired Professor of Trumpet at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. He is a member of the International Trumpet Guild Board of Directors and ITG Journal editorial committee, Executive Director of the Guild’s web site, and chairman of the ITG technology committee. He is the ITG Journal columnist for Trumpet Technology and has presented and performed at several ITG Conferences. Previously to his OCU appointment, he was on the music faculty of Dana College in Blair, Nebraska.

Anderson was project manager of the ITG Journal anniversary CD-ROM, distributed to guild members in 2001 and is currently working on a DVD of all Journal articles and music supplements for the membership to be released in 2008. He founded and administrates the Trumpet Players’ International Network (TPIN), the oldest and most active Internet discussion list dedicated to the trumpet.

His degrees are from Illinois State University (BM), and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (MM). Primary teachers have been Dennis Schneider, Herbert Koerselman, and Arnold Jacobs. During his 2003 sabbatical, Anderson observed and studied with master teachers including Bill Adam, Vincent DiMartino, Ronald Romm, Michael Ewald, Karl Sievers, and William Pfund.

Anderson is a tenured member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Lyric Theater Orchestra and the New Covenant Methodist Church Band. He performs regularly as a duo with Oklahoma City University Organist Timothy Olsen. He was a member of the Lincoln (Nebraska) Symphony Orchestra for 21 years, and performed often with the Omaha Symphony and Opera Omaha. He was a founding member of the Omaha Brass Ensemble, and the Nebraska Brass, and was a member of the Palladium Brass Quintet. He was musical director for the Omaha Big Band and the Omaha Jazz Youth Project. He is an active freelance trumpeter, and has played for countless national tours; recording sessions; and jazz, orchestra and chamber music events.

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Karl Sievers grew up in Louisville, KY. His teachers include Leon Rapier, former principal trumpet in the Louisville Orchestra; Louis Davidson, former principal trumpet in the Cleveland Orchestra; William Adam at Indiana University; and others. Karl holds a DMA in Trumpet Performance, is in his 24th season as principal trumpet in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and has recently retired from a Presidential Professorship at the School of Music at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to his orchestral work, he plays lead trumpet in jazz, commercial, and Broadway show venues. His passions outside of music include fitness, motorcycles, fishing, and family.

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William A. Baker, was appointed Bass Trombonist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra in 2024 by Music Director Enrique Mazzola. He also currently serves as the Principal Bass Trombonist of the Monterey Symphony, a post he has held since 2018.  From 2021-2024, Will primarily performed with the San Francisco Symphony, including over 200 performances, and European Tour, and the 2023 SFS recordings with Maestro EsaPekka Salonen. 

A native of Walnut Creek, California, Will has performed with the San Francisco Opera and Ballet, the Detroit Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Alabama Symphony, and Malaysian Philharmonic.

Will began his professional career in Iowa, performing as the tenured member of Orchestra Iowa from 2013-17 and the Des Moines Symphony since 2014-18. In 2016, while artist in residence with the Southeast Iowa Symphony (SEISO), Will commissioned and premiered a new bass trombone concerto by composer Robert Tindle titled At Sixty Miles An Hour. In 2018, Will premiered the Wind Ensemble arrangement with Travis Cross and the UCLA Wind Ensemble. 

Will graduated Cum Laude from UCLA with a BA in music performance, studying Euphonium and Bass Trombone with Patrick Sheridan. He then earned a Masters Degree in Bass Trombone performance at Northwestern University where he studied with Michael Mulcahy, Randall Hawes, Peter Ellefson, and Tim Higgins. After school, Will continued his studies with Kyle Covington of the San Diego Symphony, and all the members of the San Francisco Symphony brass section. 

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Dr. Jennifer Oliverio is a celebrated cornet and flugelhorn player who holds the positions of principal cornet with the Fountain City Brass Band and flugelhorn with the Athena Brass Band. Jen is currently the Assistant Professor of Music in trumpet at Missouri Western State University and one of the directors for the Fountain City Youth Brass Academy.

Jen is an avid supporter of new music for cornet and flugelhorn, having commissioned and premiered solo works by Lucy Pankhurst, Dorothy Gates, Kevin Day, Andrea Hobson, Jen Mitchell, and Joel Collier for her premiere solo album Enigma. Her work on Enigma received overwhelmingly positive reviews and was nominated for the 4barsrest Album of the Year,  a silver medal in the Global Music Awards, and winner of the 2023 American Prize in brass performance. Jen has served on the board of directors for the Fountain City Brass Band, the Athena Brass Band, the Visionary Panel for the National Youth Brass Band of America, and currently as the column editor for the International Trumpet Guild’s cornet column.

As a clinician, Jen regularly performs and presents at national and international festivals including: the International Trumpet Guild Conference, Brass Institutes of America, International Women’s Brass Conference, PRIZM Chamber Music Festival, and the Eastman Summer Trumpet Institute. In her freelance work, Jen has performed as an extra with the Kansas City Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Alabama Symphony and is a founding member of the Trilogy Brass Trio.

As a teacher, Jen has had students accepted as semi-finalists in the National Trumpet Competition, semi-finalists for the International Trumpet Guild solo competitions, and as winners in the North American Brass Band Championships solo and ensemble competitions. 

Jen is proud mother to son Ben and wife to husband Patrick.

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Grace O’Connell is a highly diverse musician with equal passions for soloing, orchestral playing, and chamber music. Grace frequently plays in the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Huntsville Symphony Orchestra trumpet sections and is also a dynamic soloist and active competitor in national and international competitions. Most recently she was named first place winner of the Roger Voisin Memorial Trumpet Competition (2024). She was also named first place winner in the International Trumpet Guild Solo Division (2023), MTNA Young Artist Solo Division (2022), as well as the National Trumpet Competition Undergraduate Division (2022). She has been a featured soloist with the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra, Southern Stars Symphonic Brass Band, and Middle Tennessee Sinfonietta. In 2021 and 2023, Grace was the recipient of two separate URECA Grants from MTSU, aiding her in completing several solo trumpet recordings for digital release which are available on various music streaming platforms.

She is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree from Yale University and holds a Bachelor of Music from Middle Tennessee State University. Her primary teachers include John Aley, Michael Arndt, and Kevin Cobb.

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Christopher Smith brings nearly 20 years of major orchestral and ensemble experience to the role of Principal Trumpet of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining the SDSO, he was 4th/Utility Trumpet with l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) for 11 years, and served as Acting Associate Principal Trumpet from 2015-18. He has performed with OSM on eight international tours (two as Associate Principal Trumpet), numerous live broadcasts on Mezzo TV and Medici.tv (several as Principal Trumpet), and five recordings, including as lead trumpet on MIKA et l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

Prior to joining OSM in 2008, Mr. Smith performed for eight years in “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, one of the world’s finest wind ensembles and America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. The Marine Band’s mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, performing at The White House for The Presidential Inauguration, events of national importance, holidays and ceremonies. Members of The Marine Band also participate in state funerals and full honors funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, including live trumpet performances of “Taps” on national television, which Mr. Smith provided on numerous occasions. He also performed on five U.S. tours totaling over 40 concerts and, as an E-7 Gunnery Sergeant, supervised and mentored junior Marines. Mr. Smith also led small ensembles and was a co-founder of the Valor Brass quintet, which performed two tours and over 10 recitals, including a standing-room-only recital at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago. As a decorated veteran of the Marine Corps, Mr. Smith is a strong supporter of the United States military and is thrilled to connect as a member of the SDSO with the military community in the greater San Diego area.

In addition to his tenured roles in OSM and The United States Marine Band, Christopher Smith has served as Associate Principal Trumpet in the Seattle Symphony (2011-12 season), Acting Principal Trumpet in the Pacific Northwest Ballet (2017-18) and 2nd Trumpet with the Des Moines Metro Opera (2010-11). He has also performed as Guest Principal Trumpet with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Grand Rapids Symphony; lead trumpet with the singer MIKA; guest performer with the group Pink Martini. He has taught as an adjunct instructor at McGill University, led over 30 masterclasses throughout North and South America and privately coached both professional and collegiate trumpet players.

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In this episode, we're talking about my experience auditioning for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. We'll cover how I prepared, what I did differently, what I learned, the rounds themselves, and my thoughts on the outcome.

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Reach out to Matt!
[email protected]

In the fall of 2024, Matthew Vangjel will begin teaching at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Matthew Vangjel was previously the Julian R. and Sidney Nicolle Carruth Associate Professor of Trumpet at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he teaches trumpet and coaches chamber music. He also held positions at the University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. Vangjel is a passionate music educator and frequently spends his free time teaching at camps and studying pedagogy. In the summer, he can be found at LSU’s Stately Oaks Summer Camp and coaching the National Youth Brass Band of America. He also taught at the University of Costa Rica’s brass camp, Foro Bronces 2017, in San Jose.

In addition to his current duties at LSU, Vangjel is an active performer locally and nationally. He was a member of the Mirari Brass Quintet (Ariel Artists) with whom he toured actively both in the United States and abroad for a decade. Most memorably, Mirari spent two weeks touring China and released its second album, renewed, reused, recycled. Vangjel is also a member of the internationally acclaimed Fountain City Brass Band (FCBB), a British-style brass band based in Kansas City, KS. He can be heard as solo flugelhorn on all of the FCBB albums and as a featured soloist on Over the Rainbow and Celtic Impressions.

Since the Summer of 2019, Vangjel has been principal trumpet of the Mobile Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, and the Kansas City Symphony. He has been called upon as a featured soloist with the Fort Smith Symphony, Northland Symphony Orchestra, and the Kansas City Civic Orchestra. His first solo album, Still and Quiet Places, was released by Summit Records in the Fall of 2019. As a soloist or member of chamber ensembles, Vangjel is a frequent performer at the International Trumpet Guild Conferences, the International Trombone Festival, the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, and the North American Brass Band Association Championships.  

Vangjel studied at the University of Missouri - Kansas City (DMA), the University of Michigan (MM), and James Madison University (BM- Music Education). His primary teachers include Keith Benjamin, Bill Campbell, Jim Kluesner, and Nancy Taylor. He loves making music with his trumpet-playing wife, Jena, and family hiking trips with his daughter, Isla, and dob, Beaux.

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Brandon Jochum mastered this podcast episode
https://www.epiphanyrecordingstudio.com/

Tony's YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@UCExbrtVAbwkjjprUPk4Sfxw 

Anthony Prisk joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as second trumpet in August 2013. He came from the Houston Symphony, where he was second trumpet for 11 seasons, and the New World Symphony, where he was a trumpet fellow for four seasons. In the past 20 years he has played internationally with several orchestras and music festivals, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Grant Park Festival Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the Moscow Philharmonic, and many others. He has participated in several music festivals, including Classical Tahoe, the Cabrillo Music Festival, the Spoleto Festival USA, the Tanglewood Music Center, the Pacific Music Festival, the Music Academy of the West, and the Aspen Music Festival. 

Mr. Prisk won two international trumpet competitions through the International Trumpet Guild and Second Prize in the National Trumpet Competition. He was a soloist with the New World Symphony, the Temple Wind Symphony, the Texas Medical Center Orchestra, and several youth orchestras. He can be heard on numerous recordings with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the New World Symphony, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and the McGill Symphony. 

Teaching is a passion for Mr. Prisk. He is currently on the faculty at Temple University and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. He can also be found teaching at summer music festivals including the Philadelphia International Music Festival, the Luzerne Music Center, and the Monteux School and Music Festival. He is also involved with the All City program sponsored by The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Mr. Prisk received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, where he studied with Ray Sasaki and Michael Ewald, and his master’s degree from McGill University, where he studied with Paul Merkelo. His other main influences were John Hagstrom, Michael Sachs, and David Bilger. Mr. Prisk is originally from Lombard, IL, in the suburbs of Chicago and currently resides in South Philadelphia. 

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Dr. Joseph Gray is the Associate Director of Bands and trumpet instructor at the University of North Alabama. Before coming to Florence, he served on the music faculty at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and as a noncommissioned officer and senior instrumentalist with the U.S. Army Music Program. During his military service, Dr. Gray was a member of the Army Material Command Band at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band at Fort Benning, Georgia.

     Dr. Gray is principal trumpet with the Shoals Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly with the Huntsville and Chattanooga Symphony Orchestras. He has performed with numerous orchestras across the country, including the New Mexico and Madison Symphony Orchestras and held the position of Principal Trumpet with Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Gray was also a featured soloist with the UNA Baroque Ensemble’s tour of Costa Rica in the Spring of 2019. Some of Dr. Gray’s recordings can be heard on the Naxos label and his performances have been featured on the nationally syndicated radio program “Performance Today”.

     He has been involved in the drum corps activity for 25 years. As a performer, he was a member of the Velvet Knights and Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. As an educator, he has served as the brass caption head of Esperanza Drum and Bugle Corps and as a member of the educational staffs for the Academy and Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.

     Dr. Gray completed his DMA in trumpet performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music where he was a recipient of the Eugene M. Bolz Fellowship. Dr. Gray completed his Master of Music at the University of New Mexico and his Bachelor of Music at the California State University, Long Beach.  

     He currently resides in Florence, Alabama with his beautiful wife, Michelle, and their three children, Mia, Emmet and Abigail. Dr. Gray is a vintage motorcycle enthusiast and avid home coffee roaster.

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