2024 ITG Conference Report - Day 1 - Tuesday, May 28
The 48th Annual International Trumpet Guild Conference - Anaheim, California (USA)
Special Daily Report • Compiled by Peter Wood
Photos by Michael Anderson
Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Welcome to the online blog for the 48th annual ITG Conference! As ITG publications editor, I am thrilled to officially kick off this year's conference reporting. We have a fantastic team of writers who are happy to serve, and I hope you enjoy the coverage. The energy and excitement buzzing around as participants arrive in this beautiful location are truly palpable. From seasoned professionals to enthusiastic students, everyone is eager to delve into the world of trumpet playing and learning.
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Harmonizing Diversity: A DEI Panel with Professional Trumpet Players Erika Izaguirre, Chloe Swindler, Luke Spence, Bria Skonberg
This panel on diversity, equity, and inclusion, moderated by Bria Skonberg and including Erika Izaguirre, Chloe Swindler, and Luke Spence, was enlightening and empowering. Hearing the stories of these three professionals and special guests from the International Trumpet Guild board of directors, created a positive start to the conference. The comradery of the panel and the members attending created a safe and engaging environment. Topics included boundaries, inclusion, and the acceptance and support of diversity. There clearly is a bright light in the future of trumpet, and it is hoped that this event will become a staple at ITG Conferences with even more people in attendance. (Jacinda Ripley)
Opening Fanfare with Vincent DiMartino
Veteran ITG featured artist Vincent DiMartino led a rehearsal in the Hyatt Regency hotel with approximately 300 trumpeters, playing Allen Vizzutti’s “Eureka Fanfare,” an elegant fanfare written especially for this event, with strong melodies, counterpoint, and motor rhythms in compound meters. DiMartino shared stories and helpful tips with the enthusiastic group of all ages. Following the rehearsal, the group went outside and gave a thrilling performance of this beautiful piece in the hotel’s Fountain Terrace. (Stanley Curtis)
Opening Concert: Boston Brass
The first official event of the 2024 ITG Conference began with a thrilling performance by the Westminster College Trumpet Ensemble of Alfred Reed’s “El Camino Real” (arranged by one of the members of their group). The piece brought a lively, festive flair to the conference’s official start. After a short introduction and welcome from Rebecca Wilt and ITG President Ryan Gardner, ITG honored Vincent DiMartino with a well-deserved ITG Honorary Award.
After a heartfelt speech from DiMartino, the Boston Brass quickly took the stage with a riveting arrangement of Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Gallop.” The piece’s fiery tempo gave way to a quick shift in mood as Jose Sibaja was featured on a beautiful arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Cantata 140 – “Wachet Auf.” Jose’s lyrical flugelhorn sound took center stage and danced against the other brass sonorities. The next piece featured their trombone player, Domingo Pagliuca, on a playful theme-and-variations arrangement of Arthur Pryor’s “The Blue Bells of Scotland.” DiMartino quickly retook the stage to join the quintet for their next piece that featured three trumpets. This Spanish-flared work, Celso Guscan’s “The Brave Matador,” allowed the trumpet trio to exist both in the majestic bravado and romantic lyricism that only a work from Latin America could provide. They closed the first half of their recital with Astor Piazzola’s “Verano Porteno,” arranged by José Sibaja. The piece showcased the technical proficiency of each player through its varying themes and lines that seemed to press and grind its way from instrument to instrument all the way to the climactic finish.
After a short five-minute intermission/chop break and a startling blast from the ensemble, the Boston Brass returned to the stage with a stunning arrangement of “Flight of the Green Hornet” by Billy May. Horn player Chris Castellanos was featured on “Sway” by Pablo Beltran Ruiz, arranged by the group’s legendary tubist Sam Pilafian. Castellanos’s powerful sound filled the hall as his musical lines danced around and over the rest of the supporting quintet. Jeff Connor, one of the founding members of Boston Brass, was featured on Benny Golson’s “I Remember Clifford,” which showcased Connor’s beautiful lyricism on flugelhorn. DiMartino rejoined the group for another trumpet trio, this time for Rafael Hernandez’s “El Cumbanchero.” This piece, arranged by José Sibaja, showcased the trumpets’ expressive upper register as both José and Vince traded short sections of improvisation, which kept the musical fires blazing! The Boston Brass continued the concert with Stanton Moore’s “Blues for Ben.” The piece opened with an impressive solo tuba feature and quickly showcased the impressive improvisational skills of each member of the ensemble. Boston Brass closed their exciting program with their famous arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan.” This was a terrific start to the conference! (James Peyden Shelton)
Concert: California State University - Long Beach Big Band with Wayne Bergeron and Vince DiMartino
The late concert on the first night of the conference began with the Baylor Gold trumpet ensemble performing two prelude pieces. The first was fully improvised and the other co-written by one of the students and their professor, Wiff Rudd. The ensemble performed both works with sensitivity, poise, and intention.
The California State University-Long Beach Big Band, under the direction of Jeff Jarvis, opened their set with a few charts before the headlining soloists took the stage. The band featured several standout student soloists, who each improvised thoughtfully, developing their solos from colorful threads into beautiful tapestries that also gave a glimpse into their souls.
Fittingly, because of both the conference’s location and his career trajectory, Wayne Bergeron’s first solo with the band was an arrangement of “Friend Like Me,” from Disney’s “Aladdin.” His comfort on the stage was remarkable; he not only wowed us with his trumpet playing, but also seemed just as comfortable talking and cracking jokes.
When he brought out his “hero,” Vince DiMartino, for a duet on “When You Wish Upon a Star,” the mood went from lighthearted to emotional, as Bergeron shared how much DiMartino has influenced Bergeron’s career and been a truly good friend.
The two of them closed the concert with “High Clouds and a Chance of Wayne,” showcasing their mastery of the trumpet in the jazz idiom. DiMartino began his solo thoughtfully, letting himself be led by the musical line as it unfolded like a wise orator who chooses their words carefully. Bergeron, also thoughtful, used a little more variance in his rhythmic language, all building to the ending – on a literal high note! (Joseph Nibley)
Jam session with Oscar Passley
Dr. Oscar Passley led the conference’s first nightly jam session with Quinn Johnson on piano, Kevin Axt on bass, and Joel Taylor on drums. Passley and the trio opened with a tune called “Emily” and then moved into tunes on which anyone could solo, including “Autumn Leaves” and “St. Thomas.” Throughout the evening, Passley welcomed anyone who wanted the opportunity to play, no matter how long. By the end of the night, around fifteen trumpeters blew solos on Miles Davis’s “Solar,” providing an exclamation point to the first day of the ITG Conference. (Spencer Brand)
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