Matthias Höfs Trumpet Interview – The Other Side of the Bell #81

Matthias Höfs Trumpet Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #81 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Matthias Höfs.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About  Matthias Höfs

When he was six years old, Matthias Hoefs declared the trumpet “his instrument, because it shines so nicely”. He received his musical education from Professor Peter Kallensee at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre, and from Profes- sor Konradin Groth at the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. When just 18 years of age, he was engaged as Solo-Trumpeter at the Philharmonic State Orchestra in Hamburg, where he enjoyed the fascinating world of opera for 16 years.

At the same time, Hoefs became a member of the GERMAN BRASS Ensemble, with whom he continues to achieve worldwide success. Since their first joint concert in 1985, he writes for himself and his colleagues tailored arrangements which span more then one genre and continue to inspire the world of Brass.

Matthias Hoefs has always shown a pioneering spirit, and thus has consistently widened the horizon of his instrument, either by close cooperation with other composers, who feel themselves inspired by his incomparable virtuosity and joy of experimentation, or as “trumpet ambassador” in his home state of Schleswig- Holstein in northern Germany, or in cooperation with the instrument makers Max and Heinrich Thein.

Since the year 2000, Matthias Hoefs has been teaching as Professor at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre, were he inspires his students with great enthusiasm, knowing how to pass on his passion for his instrument. In addition to his extensive concert performances as solo-trumpeter and chamber musician, Hoefs has produced numerous Solo CDs, and jointly with GERMAN BRASS, more than 20 recordings.

In October 2016 GERMAN BRASS was awarded with the ECHO Klassik – one of the most outstanding awards for national and international musicians.

Matthias Höfs Links

Podcast Credits

Aubrey Logan Trombone Interview – Trombone Corner #6

Aubrey Logan – Trombone Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #6 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features trombonist, singer & songwriter, Aubrey Logan.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Aubrey Logan

She’s a singer. She’s a trombone player. She’s a songwriter. She’s a performer.

It would have been a lot easier if Aubrey Logan would have just picked one. But she’s never been one to be pigeon-holed. She lives her life outside the box and that makes her difficult to define. And that’s OK with her because she purposely defies definition.

Her Top 5 debut album in 2017 helped establish her as one of the premier young singer-instrumentalists in the country. Her participation in Dave Koz’ #1 album, Summer Horns in 2018 helped cement her position. But it was her own #1 album in 2019 that really helped Aubrey Logan become a household name with music aficionados around the world. Because it was that album, Where the Sunshine is Expensive, that showed the depth of songwriting that she’s capable of.

In between her recording commitments, Logan finds time to share the stage with Alabama Shakes and Meghan Trainor and Pharrell Williams and Josh Groban and Dave Koz and The Commodores and Boston Pops at venues as diverse as Ronnie Scott’s famous jazz club in London to the expansive Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. She’s appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and the Grammys’ Award Show and ABC’s The Goldbergs. She’s recorded a duet with her childhood hero, Gloria Estefan. She’s won multiple awards at the Montreux Jazz Festival. She’s beloved by not just the dedicated fans of Postmodern Jukebox, but she considers the creator, Scott Bradlee, and her colleagues within the collective her true friends. And she loves performing. But it’s in her writing that we find out who Aubrey Logan really is.

Her title track, LA revealed to the world just how difficult it is to be an artist living in the biggest entertainment town on the planet. She opened up her soul in the song, Understand. She gave us songs that told us how much travel takes its toll and songs that tell us what’s truly important in a world that glorifies superficiality. She even takes us back a few decades with some retro songs that ask us to remember what it was that first captured our imagination on the radio.

But mostly, Ms. Logan has finally given us a glimpse into the complexity of the mind of the artist. She’s still known as a world-class singer-instrumentalist. But she’s revealed that there’s so much more. Aubrey continues to headline sold-out shows and festivals. She continues to wow the crowds at symphony dates all over the world and she touches us in those rare intimate club shows. And with her latest album, we now discover that “The Queen of Sass” has depths to which we would never have imagined.

Aubrey Logan Links

Podcast Credits

Jim Manley Trumpet Interview – The Other Side of the Bell #80

Jim Manley – Trumpet Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #80 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Jim Manley.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Jim Manley

Jim Manley figures he has spent around 10,500 plus nights playing his trumpet around town in his hometown of St. Louis since the 70’s.

His recordings have gathered critical acclaim as well and have traveled all over the world. Jim’s forays into the stratosphere are musically exciting and unbelievable to his peers. 

In the past few years he has branched out as a band leader, composer, and clinician.Jim has been featured as a guest soloist with many bands across the country, including as a featured soloist at the annual Trumpet Party in Amsterdam in 2006. 

Jim’s group Horns in the House” was the opening act for the legendary Maynard Ferguson. Every year Jim headlines at “Jazz at the Bistro” one of the foremost jazz clubs in the country to sell out crowds.

His approach to brass playing has gained world-wide attention via his many students and now several youtube clips. Jim is a clinician and teaches players of all ages in his teaching studio at home and via Skype worldwide.

Jim Manley Links

Podcast Credits

Ralph Sauer Trombone Interview – Trombone Corner #5

Ralph Sauer- Trombone Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #5 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features former principal trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ralph Sauer.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Ralph Sauer

Ralph Sauer retired from the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2006 after 32 years as principal trombonist. Previously, he spent six years as principal with the Toronto Symphony. During that time, he also served as principal trombonist for the Canadian Opera and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., and was a faculty member at the University of Toronto. A native of Philadelphia, he is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Emory Remington.

Mr. Sauer has performed as a soloist with many orchestras, including premieres of concertos by Kazimierz Serocki and Augusta Read Thomas. He has given masterclasses and recitals throughout Europe, Japan, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Canada, Australia, and the United States, and has appeared at the Stratford, Marlboro, Aspen, and Pacific summer music festivals. Mr. Sauer has been a visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music and at Arizona State University, and has taught at the Sibelius Academy of Music (Helsinki) and the Norwegian Academy of Music (Oslo). He is a founding member of Summit Brass.

Recent activities include performing as guest principal with the Malmö (Sweden) Symphony Orchestra, teaching at the Malmö Academy of Music, and leading masterclasses at various American universities. He continues to add to his catalog of more than 300 transcriptions for brass instruments.

Ralph Sauer Links

Podcast Credits

Robert Sanders Trombone Interview – Trombone Corner #4

Robert Sanders – Trombone Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #4 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features bass trombonist Robert Sanders.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Robert Sanders

Bob‘s training included four great teachers, Don Kimble, Jeff Reynolds, Robert Simmergren and Roy Main; they have made all the difference! His professional career began at the age of twenty with the Disneyland Band where he stayed three years. It was a de facto apprenticeship, working day in and day out with 15 experienced professional musicians. Thereafter he stayed busy performing hither and yon in the greater Los Angeles area, including 30 years with Pacific Symphony, 24 years as a founding member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, 22 seasons with Opera Pacific, 12 years in the Composers Brass Quintet, and of course, a decade or so in Hoyt Bohannon’s garage on Tuesday nights.

The low brass section from Zorro.

He has played on a freelance basis, at one time or another, for every dog and pony show to come through Southern California for 45 years; including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, hundreds of motion picture and television scores, and considerable time in various and sundry theater, ballet and opera pits. He has been a member of the Bill Watrous Refuge West Band, the Jack Sheldon Orchestra, the Jimmy Cleveland Orchestra and did two, all too short, tours subbing with the west coast iteration of the Toshiko Akioshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band.

He is presently retired from low brass performance, serves as president of Local 7, American Federation of Musicians, and has taught trombone at California State University, Fullerton for more than three decades; where he co-founded (with Jeannie Little and Alex Iles) Trombone Day in 2004.

​Bob is a Greenhoe Artist.

Robert Sanders Links

Podcast Credits

Bria Skonberg Trumpet Interview – The Other Side of the Bell #79

Bria Skonberg – Trumpet Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #79 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Bria Skonberg.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Bria Skonberg

Photo by Krista Stucchio

To most of us, the adventures of trailblazing triple threat trumpeter, singer and songwriter Bria Skonberg are borderline unbelievable. Born in British Columbia, Canada and now residing in New York City, the Juno Award winner for Best Vocal Jazz Album has performed hundreds of festivals and stages the world over, including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival and Montreal Jazz Festival.

Called the “shining hope of hot jazz” by the NY Times, Bria has been at the forefront of a revival of classic American music as both a performer and educator, programming concerts and workshops for students of all ages; She is currently developing educational activities for the Louis Armstrong House Museum and co-directs the New York Hot Jazz Camp she co-founded in 2015.

“Nothing Never Happens” Album by Bria Skonberg

Described as “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” (Wall Street Journal), she has performed the music of Aretha Franklin alongside Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, played with U2 at the Apollo, sat in with the Dave Matthews band, was a featured guest with Jon Batiste and sang the “Star Spangled Banner” at Madison Square Garden for a NY Rangers game.

Bria has been featured on over 25 recordings and recently released her sixth studio solo album “Nothing Never Happens”. Her music has garnered over 10 million streams online.  A 6x Downbeat Rising Star, she tours constantly bringing her own signature sounds of fiery trumpet playing, smoky vocals and story-telling together with adventurous concoctions of classic and new.  Bria is a Bach Conn-Selmer artist; she plays a Bach Stradivarius 37 with a 3C Bach mouthpiece.

Bria Skonberg Links

Podcast Credits

Jay Friedman Trombone Interview – Trombone Corner #3

Jay Friedman – Trombone Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #3 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features principal trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jay Friedman.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Jay Friedman

Jay Friedman attended Yale University on scholarship and majored in composition at Roosevelt University. After four years with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and two years with the Florida Symphony, he joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1962 and was appointed principal trombone in 1964. He has soloed with the CSO on several occasions, including a concerto by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.

Friedman recently released The Singing Trombone, a solo CD designed to assist trombone students. He has taught trombone privately for many years, and his students hold positions in major orchestras such as the Gothenburg Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Friedman currently serves as professor of trombone, principal guest conductor, and head of winds and brass at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He also has been artist-in-residence at Indiana University. Friedman was invited to hold master classes and perform at the International Trombone Camp in Fossano, Italy, in 2002, and in Limone, Italy, in 2003. That same year, he also performed at the International Trombone Association in Helsinki, Finland. In 2006 Friedman held master classes in Vigo, Spain.

An active conductor, Jay Friedman was named music director of the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest in 1995. At the invitation of Daniel Barenboim, Friedman conducted the Civic Orchestra in act 1 of Wagner’s Die Walküre, in a performance the Chicago Sun-Times called “the best Civic concert in the past 30 years.” In 2002, he was chosen Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras.

In 2001, Friedman combined his passion for brass and conducting by organizing the Chicago Symphony brass and alumni in a concert at Symphony Center benefiting the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest and honoring Adolph “Bud” Herseth. This all-brass concert, Brass Buddies, featured Friedman’s own arrangement of Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony.

Friedman’s conducting career has included guest appearances with orchestras around the world, including the Orchestra of the Italian Radio (RAI), the Malmo Symphony, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s annual donor concerts. In April 2005, he conducted three concerts with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra of Rome. In March 2006, he conducted the Civic Orchestra of Chicago in a public master class of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony at Symphony Center, and in May 2007 he conducted the RAI orchestra in Italy with Daniel Barenboim as piano soloist.

Friedman’s articles on conducting and orchestral style have been published by The Instrumentalist magazine. These articles currently are being used as a curriculum at leading universities and can be accessed on his Web site at www.jayfriedman.net.

Jay Friedman Links

Podcast Credits

Christopher Still & Honesty Pill Interview – The Other Side of the Bell #78

Christopher Still – Trumpet Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #78 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter and Honesty Pill founder, Christopher Still.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Christopher Still

Honesty Pill founder Christopher Still joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Second Trumpet in 2007.

Before coming to California, he was the Principal Trumpet of the Colorado Symphony. He has also held the positions of Associate Principal Trumpet of the Dallas Symphony and Principal Trumpet of the Charleston (SC) Symphony. Additionally, Christopher has served as Assistant Principal Trumpet with the Grant Park Festival Orchestra in Chicago’s Millennium Park and Guest Principal with the St. Louis Symphony.

Christopher has recorded extensively with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Grant Park, Dallas, and Albany symphony orchestras. Active in the Hollywood recording studios, he can be heard on major motion picture and television soundtracks. He is a Yamaha Artist, a dedicated educator, and an active clinician.

Christopher Still Links

Podcast Credits

David Elton Trumpet Interview – The Other Side of the Bell #77

David Elton – Trumpet Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #77 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter David Elton.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About David Elton

David Elton is recognised as one of the world’s most sought-after trumpet players.

Principal Trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra since December 2017 and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra since 2011, David is also a trumpet professor at the Royal College of Music in London, and a member of the Australian National Academy of Music brass faculty in Melbourne.

As a soloist, David has performed Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in Vietnam with the London Symphony Orchestra, given the world-premiere of James Ledger’s Trumpet Concerto (a work that was written for him) with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing other concerti with various orchestras including the Sydney and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Prior to his LSO and SSO appointments, David Elton was Principal Trumpet with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (2005-2011) and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (2000-2004).  He has also performed as a Guest Principal Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Australian World Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic.

David is an active chamber musician, most recently giving the world premiere of David Sampson’s Memories to Keep Awhile at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. He is a founding member of the Australian Brass Quintet with whom he regularly tours throughout Australia and beyond.

David has recently given masterclasses in London, Paris, Madrid, Houston, Aarhus, Karlskona, as well as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.  A frequent tutor of the Australian Youth Orchestra, he was also Artist in Residence and the 2019 AYO National Music Camp.

David began learning the trumpet at the age of nine, later studying with Paul Goodchild in Sydney.  He gained a Bachelor of Music degree from the Queensland Conservatorium (where he studied with Yoram Levy) and was recipient of the Conservatorium Medal. He furthered his studies with Charles Geyer and Barbara Butler, graduating with a master’s degree in performance from Northwestern University, Illinois, USA in 1999.

David Elton Links

Podcast Credits

Martin Schippers Trombone Interview – Trombone Corner #2

Martin Schippers – Trombone Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #2 of the Trombone Corner podcast. This episode features second and bass trombonist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Martin Schippers.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Martin Schippers

Martin began studying the tenor tuba with his grandfather at the age of seven. He switched to trombone at fifteen, taking lessons from his uncle, Hans Schippers. Two years later he began studying at the Rotterdam Conservatoire; during his second year he was appointed second trombonist with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.
He assumed the post of principal trombonist with the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic in 2005. Martin is second and bass trombonist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in April 2009.
As a member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, RCO brass, the International Trombone Ensemble, the New Trombone Collective (until 2010) and numerous other chamber music groups, he has performed in most of the major concert halls around the world. He is also coach of the low brass of the Orchestra of the Americas.
Martin appeared as teacher and soloist on festivals such as the International Trombone Festival, Korean Trombone Symposium, Dutch Bass Trombone Open, Festival do Campos Jordao Brazil, Costa Rica Trombone Festival, Thailand Trombone Festival, Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival, Sesc International Music Festival Pelotas Brazil, IPV Festival, Lätzsch Trombone Festival, Curso Trombon de Valga in Spain amongst others and taught masterclasses at major universities in USA, Europe, Australia and Asia.
Martin is professor for tenor and bass trombone at the Lucerne University of Arts and Music in Switzerland.

Martin Schippers Links

Podcast Credits

Gary Guthman Trumpet Interview – The Other Side of the Bell #76

Gary Guthman – Trumpet Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #76 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Gary Guthman.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About Gary Guthman

Originally from Portland Oregon, Gary Guthman started his career at the age of nine. As a young teen, Gary was a member of the nationally acclaimed “Seldom Six” Dixieland Band, comprised of 12 to 14 years old who traveled the United States performing stage shows and conventions, playing, singing and tap-dancing all the way. Throughout Gary’s high school and college years, he performed with jazz and rock and roll bands and at 17 years old, auditioned for the acclaimed Portland (Oregon) Youth Orchestra; the oldest of its kind in the United States.

Gary played principal trumpet and in his last year with the PYO, performed as soloist with the orchestra, the only trumpet player in its history (to date) to achieve that acclaim. Mr. Guthman was fortunate to study trumpet for the first 15 of his playing years. His teachers were Jack Dalby, Joyce Johnson, James Smith and the recently retired (after 38 years!) Principal trumpet of the Oregon Symphony – Fred Sautter. After attending Portland State University, Gary was pleased to do short stints with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra (lead by Lee Castle), Stan Kenton Orchestra, Don Ellis Orchestra and the Louis Bellson Orchestra. In the early 1980’s, Gary Guthman moved to Canada. Within the next few years, he became known as one of Canada’s premier lead and commercial trumpeters, playing on over 100, televised “ITV IN Concert” performances as well as numerous radio shows, jingles, movie sound tracks and in concert. Gary performed on television with Tom Jones, Paul Anka, directed the jazz program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and formed his renowned “Tribute Orchestra”. 1995 saw the inception of Gary Guthman’s hit show “A Tribute to Harry James”, followed by the creation of his” Trumpet Greats” in 1998, “Swingmatism!” in 2004 and in 2007 for Internationally renowned harpist Małgorzata Zalewska, his critically acclaimed “Master and Margarita”. From 1998-2001, Gary was the Musical Director and starred in the North American Musical Theatre Revue “Forever Swing and won a distinguished Canadian “Jesse” Award.

In 2004, Gary debuted by personal invitation at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, conducted by Skitch Henderson.

Since moving to Central Europe, Gary has given hundreds of concerts with his “Gary Guthman Quartet” and “The New Swing Orchestra”, as well as Symphonic Pops concerts. In 2011, Gary released his next CD entitled “Solar Eclipse” on the Polski Radio Jazz Label, featuring his quartet of world-class Polish jazz artists Filip Wojciechowski/piano, Paweł Pańta/Bass, Cezary Konrad/Drums. Gary Guthman is the only non-Polish jazz artist to release his own CD in the 95-year history of Polish Radio. In 2014, along with his co-writer Doman Nowakowski, Gary composed the Libretto, Music and Lyrics for a new musical entitled “Letter from Warsaw”.

In 2015, Gary began an association as Producer and Composer for vocal star Sasha Strunin. Their first Cd project “Woman in Black” was completed in 2016 to critical acclaim in Poland. Her new Album – “Self-Portraits” features the compositions of Gary Guthman and the poetry of renowned Polish poet, Miron Białoszewski, was released in Warsaw on June 21, 2019.

Gary Guthman Links

Podcast Credits

David Rejano Trombone Interview – Trombone Corner #1

David Rejano – Trombone Interview

Welcome to the show notes for Episode #1 of the Trombone Corner. podcast This episode features principal trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, David Rejano Cantero.

Listen to or download the episode below:

About David Rejano Cantero

David Rejano is the principal trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra since 2016. Before that, he served as Principal Trombone with the Orquestra Sinfonica de Navarra from 2002 to 2007, Principal Trombone with the Orquestra del Gran Teatro del Liceo de Barcelona (Barcelona Opera House) from 2007 to 2010, and Principal Trombone with the Münchner Philharmoniker from 2010 to 2016.

He has also performed as a guest with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France, Seoul Philharmonic, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks or the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris.

David Rejano appears frequently as a soloist at the Festival Européen du Trombone, Concours National de Trombone de France, Sapporo Festival, Summer Brass Festival or the International Trombone Festival, as well as with top orchestras like the Vancouver Symphony or the LAPhil. He frequently works together with Zubin Mehta, Gustavo Dudamel and Valery Gergiev.

As a sought-after teacher, David gives regularly Masterclasses all over the world, including the Guildhall School of London (England), Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris (France), New England Conservatory, CSU Northridge, UCLA, USC, Colburn School, Montclair State University (USA), Münchner Musikhochschule (Germany), Landeskonservatorium Innsbruck (Austria), Barenboim-Said Academy (Spain) and the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music (China); as well as coaches youth orchestras as the National Youth Orchestra of Spain, Youth Orchestra of Central America (Guatemala), Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) and the Odeon Jugendorchester (Germany).

David Rejano Links

Podcast Credits