The Arts Salon

Peter Evans is one of the world's most astounding improvisers on any instrument. His technique mixes with his vast musical flexibility seamlessly.  I was in college when I first heard an old recording of Peter playing a version of Body and Soul, I had never heard so many complex techniques put together into a coherent idea with such nonchalance. I also had never had my mind working on overdrive to keep up. It was an explosion of sound. From 2011–2015 I got to hear Peter during his frequent visits to Montreal, and was constantly astonished at his insane artistic development from year to year, much like his music peter’s artistry couldn’t stay still.

I have since gotten to know Peter, and every time I’ve had the pleasure of spending some time talking, I am equally amazed by his brain. I hope you all enjoy this time with him.

Mark has been criticized by lesser intellects for his bold activities, but it is undeniable that behind Mark’s antics is a true concern for the arts and a deep love for music. I cannot overstate how important this love is when attempting to transform or criticize the nature of art. Currently there is a lot of talk about how to improve classical music to better reflect modernity, and the sinner’s and catholic school children mea culpas in vogue are more often than not repulsive and useless. Most people joining these conversations seem to be dishonest actors. We need to fine-tune our senses to distinguish between the people seeking change because they want to preserve things, and those who simply critique to destroy. Mark of course belongs to this first group.

Dan is one of the creative artists I respect almost more than anyone I’m in contact with. His work with his many bands is legendary and important, and brings joy to the audiences of LA, and wonderment to the many musicians who can’t understand where Dan and his peers can possibly find the time to get everything done.

This conversation touches on many subjects including Dan's creative practice, his sources of inspiration, pre-concert talk inefficiency, institutional cowardice, and many more things. I decided not to cut it up and leave it at its full-length because Dan is just too interesting to dilute. I hope you enjoy it.

While Ed’s records, particularly his Italian Trumpet, are worthy of praise, and although his students plague every imaginable institution of prestige; Ed’s most lasting and important legacy without a doubt is the creation of the Center for Advanced Musical Studies at Chosen Vale.

It is, to quote a statement (I find hilarious) made in the promotion of a recent brass album, “a minor miracle” that this festival has managed for to put the most important minds in the trumpet world together for 2 weeks in rural New Hampshire for 17 years. As a focal point of contemporary and new music, Chosen Vale with its renowned faculty has undoubtedly educated more young students in the trumpet music of the late 20th and 21st centuries than any other educational institution I am aware of. And much to the chagrin of staunch orchestral educational institutions the list of its notable alumni, and of their own professional accomplishments would humble even the oldest music festivals in the world.

The fact alone that Ed gave Thomas Stevens a place to communicate his ideas to new generations, should put all of us blessed by this, is his debt forever.

This episode is mostly a conversation tracing the differences and similarities between the Piano and Trumpet competition worlds, their repertoire, and some of the complicated realities of the field. We’re talking about the REAL trumpet competitions hosted in Europe, where participants have to learn an average of 6–8 major trumpet works, not those rather simplistic events hosted in America like the National Trumpet Competition and the one hosted by the International Trumpet Guild.

Lucas and Mickael are both active members of the competition community, and so I offer my voice when needed to speak the truth of the harsh and often unacceptable realities of this treacherous world, as I have no interest in joining in it.

Perhaps if we can all speak more openly in public about what we all talk about in private, we too will reveal the tiny men and women behind the curtain of these events, which too often leave us speechless…and not often for the right reasons.

Follow the Ensemble Intercontemporain: https://www.ensembleintercontemporain.com/en/soliste/lucas-lipari-mayer/

Follow Mickael Lipari-Mayer: https://mickaelliparimayer.com/en/home/?fbclid=IwAR0jnpuG_ofoGBIu54jAPGRPDyOPnlkgrACI5x1JZJ38buxK4IFyQnkY6lQ

Whenever I have mentioned his name in musical circles the reactions are often mixed…but I have long understood that in the arts such a reaction more often than not means I’ve struck intellectual gold. Beneath an often-misunderstood character, is an intellect of such massive value, that what should shock American trumpet players is that he isn’t more widely lauded as one of the best American trumpet players of the 20th and 21st centuries. I am happy he has joined the Faculty at DePaul, and would encourage anyone entering this dying industry to consider joining his studio, it might give you a fighting chance.

I often talk about how arts institutions have clearly shown an inability to change with the times. This has led to a curious phenomenon; we can all agree that the industry has cancer…but the institutions are trying to treat their mortal disease with essential oils instead of chemo-therapy. In their plight to find out what content is relevant they have lost track of the fact that this is a zero-sum game. As Steve well puts it emotion is ALWAYS relevant. Wagner will always be relevant, our mistake is to think that Wagner depends on the Metropolitan Opera to survive…it is the institutions that are spelling out their demise, not the content. Few people I know are as articulate as Steve about the trends we see as normal in classical music today, but which are actually a disruption from the nature of the art form from the 1500s until the beginning of the 1900s.

Håkan Hardenberger is arguably the greatest classical trumpet soloist of all time, and the only one active today who is a regular at the most important concert halls in the world with the finest orchestras. I cannot say anything about Håkan that hasn’t been said a million times, or written down in thousands of concert programs and record booklets since the late 80s. He is without a doubt the finest artist to have ever held a trumpet in his hand in the classical music world…period…end of sentence…game, set, and match.

I invited Bob to join me to talk a little about his unique relationship to Thomas Stevens, the path that led him away from pursuing a career in the performing arts, his approach towards design from artistry, his many years with Yamaha, and the unique historic moment that led him to briefly host two of the most important trumpet players of all time under one roof during a strange number of months in Los Angeles. There’s a little bit of everything in this one, even some design history for the gearheads…

Music generously supplied by Dan Gonzalez