Members of the SAU Blue Trumpet Ensemble include Logan Jacobs, Joshua Green, Caleb Castle, Jackson Heflin, and Kobi Brittenham.
For the first time, the Southern Arkansas University Blue Trumpet Ensemble has advanced to the live quarterfinal round at the National Trumpet Competition. This prestigious annual event will take place in late March and early April at the University of Delaware.
David D. Torres, director of athletic bands and instructor of trumpet and horns, offered congratulations to these Mulerider musicians who recorded a video in early December and submitted an eight-minute performance to the national panel. “Each year, over 100 universities and college trumpet ensembles submit, including the finest schools of music and conservatories in North America,” Torres said. “Only 40 are selected for the Small Trumpet Ensemble Division quarterfinal live rounds.”
All members of the SAU Trumpet Ensemble are private students of Torres. The SAU Music Department will be well represented by the SAU Blue Trumpet Ensemble which includes: Logan Jacobs (junior, Music Performance, Sunnyvale, Texas); Joshua Green (sophomore, Music Education, Texarkana, Ark.); Caleb Castle (junior, Music Education, Hooks, Texas); Jackson Heflin (sophomore, Music Education, Vian, Okla.), and Kobi Brittenham (freshman, Music Education, Texarkana, Texas).
The ensemble will perform its competition piece, Da Silva’s “Fantasia Brasileria,” at 10:24 a.m. on Thursday, March 31. “We are so incredibly proud of this ensemble for their tireless work all year, and for many of them, all their years in college,” said Torres. “This will be a fantastic trip representing their school and region at this prestigious competition. They absolutely deserve it!”
On Friday, March 4, the ensemble will perform its competition piece at 7:30 p.m. in Oliver Recital Hall at SAU.
