The Emory & Henry College Trumpet Ensemble is directed by Dr. Matthew Frederick, center.
EMORY, Va. -- The Emory & Henry College Trumpet Ensemble has been selected to compete and perform this spring at two of the world's most prestigious trumpet events.
The ensemble will compete March 12-15 in the National Trumpet Competition at George Mason University, joining musicians from such elite trumpet programs as the Julliard School, Northwestern University, Boston University, and The University of Texas.
On May 26-30, the E&H ensemble will travel to Harrisburg, Pa., to perform at the annual conference of the International Trumpet Guild. This year, only 15 ensembles from around the world were invited to participate in the concert.
"These are the equivalent of going to the Super Bowl and the Olympics, both in the same year," said Dr. Matthew Frederick, the director of the ensemble. "It is a very high honor for any trumpet soloist or ensemble to be selected for either of these events. The fact that the E&H ensemble has landed invitations to both events is an extremely great honor."
It is very unusual for small colleges to be included in the competitions, Frederick said. In the case of the national competition, Emory & Henry is the only school represented with a student population of less than 10,000.
The selection for both events was based on recordings submitted to selection committees. Once a school wins an invitation to the competitions, it competes against all schools in the competition, regardless of size.
Frederick said the E&H ensemble, which is in its sixth year of existence, stands out both because of its execution of the music and its ability to play with excitement. "We strive to play more than the notes; we seek to perform powerfully with passion."
He said another important aspect of the ensemble is that the members are all "very smart." They come from a variety of education disciplines (four of the seven members are non-music majors). "Most of the other groups represented at both events are made up solely of music majors, and the fact that ours is made up of students from across many different disciplines really makes the group stand out even more," Frederick said.
Members of the ensemble include Jonathan Todd, senior music performance major, Independence, Va.; Joe Hamil, senior psychology major, Johnson City, Tenn.; Jared Drapkin, senior geography major, Cincinnati, Ohio; Rachel Enigk, junior biology and pre-med major, Bluefield, W.Va.; LeeAnne Reese, sophomore music education major, Damascus, Va.; Thomas Smith, sophomore music education major, Concord, Calif.; Patrick Smith, first-year undecided, Hillsville, Va.
"This is a really big honor for the instrumental program at Emory & Henry," Frederick said. "And for a program that is only in its sixth year to achieve both national and international recognition ... that is just very special."
