Baylor University Trumpet Ensemble and Soloists Advance to National Competition

Follow us on Twitter:@BaylorUMediaCom The Baylor Trumpet Ensemble and three student trumpet soloists have been chosen to advance to the National Trumpet Competition, to be held March 11-14 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. The Baylor Trumpet Ensemble was chosen from a taped audition for its performance of an arrangement by student performer Adam Gautille, a senior from Coppell, of the Finale to Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. The ensemble featured graduate student Steffen Baral of Hausen an der Wurm, Germany (piccolo trumpet); Gautille (F trumpet); Chelsea Orr, a junior from Richardson (C trumpet); Joseph Underwood, a sophomore from Pearland (C trumpet); Brian Martinez, a senior from Rialto, Calif. (C trumpet); Andy Lott, a sophomore from Fort Worth (C trumpet); Simon Bosch, a senior from Loveland, Colo.(flugelhorn); and Manny Munoz, a freshman from Austin. (flugelhorn). Chosen as solo semifinalists from Baylor were Gautille, Orr and Underwood. Taped audition performances were sent to judges who are professional performances and university professors. They did not know the identity of the performers or the university that they attend. At the March competition, musicians will perform in live semifinals. Those chosen as finalists also will perform live at the competition. "It is highly competitive and entered by students from across the country," said Wiff Rudd, professor of trumpet and coordinator of brass at Baylor University. He is the students' mentor. Only about 40 undergraduate students from across the country were chosen as undergraduate semifinalists. About 30 ensembles were chosen, Rudd said. Gautille advanced to solo finals in 2008, placing fifth. The trumpet ensemble placed fourth in the 2009 finals, competing with some of the most prestigious trumpet studios, among them The Juilliard School, Northwestern University and Boston University. During the event, students will observe and attend numerous concerts and master classes presented by some of the leading international trumpet artists. Contact: Terry Goodrich, Assistant Director of Media Communications, (254) 710-3321