This week our featured trumpet player is Chris Gekker, and I’ve included links to all 3 movements of his recording of the Eric Ewazen Sonata for Trumpet and Piano. Chris is currently the trumpet professor at the University of Maryland. Before that, he was a member of the American Brass Quintet for 18 years, a faculty member of the Juilliard School, a top freelance trumpet player in New York. His accomplishments are too numerous to list, so a bio can be found here.
Eric Ewazen has written a lot of excellent music for brass. His Sonata for Trumpet and Piano has become a staple of the solo trumpet repertoire. I also recommend looking up his music for brass quintet.
I was fortunate to study with Chris Gekker as an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland. I first heard this recording of the Ewazen Sonata in high school, and I was blown away by the depth and expressiveness of his tone. This recording inspired me to audition at the University of Maryland, and I continue to be grateful for the lessons learned under Chris’s guidance.
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