The Trombone Ensemble of the Facultad de Música UNAM was founded in 2012 by Marcia Medrano, with the support of Professors Iain H. Hunter, Principal Trombone of the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, Herlindo Ojeda, Mexico City freelancer, and Mauricio Fortuna, Assistant Ensemble Manager. The ensemble is made up of students ranging in age from the high school to undergraduate college division.
The ensemble often performs at university events and hosts an annual concert with invited student and professional ensembles. These events help strengthen ties between the musical community and the Mexican Trombonists’ Guild. In 2019, it hosted the First University Trombone Biennial, featuring U.S. trombonists, George Curran and Nathan Zgonc. Its constant activity, inter-institutional collaboration, and frequent commissioning of repertoire has brought the group to national prominence.
During the pandemic, the ensemble’s members continued to be active through online sessions and remote video making. For more information and videos, visit the Facultad de Música UNAM’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as the FaM Trombone Ensemble’s Facebook page.
A specially curated YouTube playlist of some of their videos is available here.
A consortium has been organized to commission Jack Wilds to write a new work for brass quintet. Trombonists will recognize Wild’s writing from his popular pieces for trombone choir “Leviathan” and a “Fanfare” premiered at the recent International Trombone Festival.
The new piece will be 6-10 minutes in length and feature the trombone as soloist.
Co-Commissioners will get their name and affiliations listed in the final score and will have exclusive performance rights for a full year after the piece has been written. There are student and professional rates, allowing multiple ways to be involved with the consortium.
The consortium is open for enrollment from August 9, 2021 until October 11, 2021. For more information and to join the consortium visit https://www.jettwalkertrombone.com/commission-consortium.
Auditions for graduate studies at the Tianjin Juilliard School are currently open. There are graduate fellowships and generous scholarships available. In addition to private lessons with an international roster of faculty-in-residence, the school offers numerous orchestral and chamber music opportunities. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
Please visit Tianjin Juilliard’s website for further information. For further questions, please contact Dr. Lee Allen.
Dr. Jose Leonardo Leon, professor of trombone at Florida Atlantic University, will be a featured soloist with the FAU Wind Ensemble. Dr. Leon will premiere Monolith: Rhapsody for Bass Trombone and Symphonic Winds by Alejandro Guardia on Friday, October 1st, 2021. A setting for bass trombone and piano was commissioned by Dr. Leon and premiered at the 2013 National Trombone Week festival in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
The FAU Wind Ensemble is conducted by Dr. Kyle Prescott.
Please email Dr. Leon for further information. Please visit Alejandro’s website if you are interested in more information about him and his music.
Alix Tucou recently released a new album entitled “Portraits.”
Tucou shared the following information about his album:
“The concept of the album is on the figure of the portrait: it can be a person, a place, an idea…it invites the listener to close its eyes and let go its imagination go and wander as if the listener was visiting an imaginary Contemporary Art Exhibition…a sort of musical catalog of this imaginary exhibition.”
Brent Phillips, professor of trombone at Baylor University, is seeking a talented and capable candidate to serve as Graduate Associate for the trombone studio. This position is available to students pursuing a Masters Degree in Trombone Performance, tenor trombone only.
Duties include:
- Performing in the major ensembles of the School of Music as needed
- Performing in the Graduate or Honors Brass Quintet
- Assisting with the Trombone Methods Course (Spring) and Studio Classes
- Assisting with the Baylor Trombone Choir, Eighth Position and Bearbones Trombone Quartet
- Assisting in logistics and matters related to the overall function and well-being of the Trombone Studio
- Assisting with management of the Brass Library
- Teaching lessons to secondary or non-majors as needed and majors on an infrequent basis
- Teaching Low Brass Methods (Trombone Section) – Spring 2024
- Organizational tasks and logistics related to Baylor Trombone Day 2023
- Website updates, promotion and design
- Social media posts/promotion
- Research related projects as assigned by Mr. Phillips (orchestral excerpt materials, music production, editing, arranging, scholarly research as it relates to future publication and or scholarly creative performance)
This assistantship provides:
- The full-time graduate assistantship tuition waiver covers all 30 hours of the degree with no fees.
- The stipend is awarded over eight months is exactly $7,000
- Assistantships are renewable for a second year. Partial assistantships may be offered.
- $300 per semester for travel to professional presentations or master classes/festivals if chosen via competitive selection.
- The degree plan usually affords the opportunity for an “Independent Study” in a specific area of study/interest (bass trumpet, orchestral section playing, audition circuit training)
- The assistantship is renewable based on the evidence of significant forward musical progress.
The GA candidate will also have the opportunity to serve as second trombone in the Waco Symphony Orchestra pending the approval of Mr. Phillips, the music director and union membership.
For further information and to begin the audition pre-screening process, please visit the following link: https://www.baylortrombones.com/graduate-student-audition-information.html
If you have further questions or are interested in the graduate associate position, please contact Brent Phillips, Professor of Trombone at Baylor University.
For anyone wanting to give an ITA membership as a gift to their favorite trombone friend, PDF gift certificates are now available for purchase in our shop!
Support us and help our organization grow by sponsoring this program.
Certificates can be purchased here: https://www.trombone.net/product/membership-gift-certificate/
The Western Michigan University Trombone Studio announces a Graduate Teaching Assistantship for either tenor or bass trombone, beginning with the Fall 2022 school year. The assistantship is available for someone seeking a Master of Music degree. The package includes salary, tuition remission, and other benefits, which would cover the complete cost of tuition for the degree, as well as some money toward housing costs. Assistantship responsibilities may include performance with the School of Music’s Graduate Brass Quintet, depending on the recipient.
The Studio: The trombone studio at WMU has achieved a great deal of success. Since 2004, WMU trombonists have been finalists, alternates or honorable mention selections in the highly competitive International Trombone Association (ITA) competition over 40 times, including 20 times as finalists. Trombone graduates are often admitted to the most prestigious graduate programs in the US and Europe with full scholarships or assistantships. Former studio members have performed regularly with renowned ensembles, and trombone graduates of the program teach at roughly 25 universities across the country.
School of Music: One of the most visible and respected academic units at Western Michigan University – an institution with a student enrollment of 24,000 including over 5,000 at the graduate level – the School of Music has approximately 600 majors including 31 graduate assistants. The faculty is made up of 42 internationally recognized artist-scholars and includes four ensembles-in-residence. The school offers some of the finest rehearsal, study, practice, and performance facilities in the nation, and hosts close to 1000 events each year.
Questions about the assistantship or audition process can be emailed to WMU trombone professor Steve Wolfinbarger
Ben van Dijk, former president of the International Trombone Association and bass trombone of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, has created a series of videos on his social media channels. This project started in March 2020, and includes classical masterpieces, overdubs, and a series of duets written specifically for him by Steven Verhelst. This series, “Ben van Dijk meets…,” includes collaborations with José Milton Vieira, Joseph Alessi, and trumpet player Matthias Höfs.
These videos are available on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Peter Moore, principal trombone of the London Symphony Orchestra, will give the world premiere of Dani Howard’s Trombone Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on June 17, 2021. The program will be recorded and available to stream on June 29, 2021 for a small fee.
Mr. Moore joined the LSO in 2014. He gained national attention by becoming the youngest winner of the BBC Young Musician competition in 2008. In addition to performing, he teaches at the Royal Academy of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Ms. Howard is a British composer and orchestrator who is gaining international recognition with performances of her music across Europe, the US, and Asia. In addition to the trombone concerto, Ms. Howard is looking forward to commissions with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, the Marian Consort, Apollo Saxophone Quartet, and other projects that will be announced shortly.
Please visit the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s website if you are interested in purchasing tickets to the concert or livestream.