Ouachita
Baptist University
Low Brass
Studio
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Guest Artists
Retired Chicago Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist Edward Kleinhammer has said: “World class players do not just happen…their talents are forged in the dual furnaces of determination and diligence." These “dual furnaces” are more commonly referred to as practice and performance. Improving as a musician requires a great deal of patience and persistence. More importantly, a mental standard of excellence must be present at all times. One of the ways to develop this standard of excellence is by listening to, and working with, great musicians.
OBU has been very fortunate to host many of the industry's leading professionals. We are committed to continuing this tradition. Listed below are upcoming residencies as well as past guests:
The Old Capitol Trombones
Dr. David Gier - University of Iowa Dr. Jemmie Robertson - Augustana College Dr. Josh Bynum - Ouachita Baptist University Mr. Casey Thomas - Cornell College The Old Capitol Trombones began performing in the Fall of 2008 in an effort to promote chamber music for trombone and to provide an additional artistic outlet for its members. The group has given recitals at Universities in both Arkansas and Missouri, and plans to continue concertizing in the future.
Nitzan Haroz
Nitzan Haroz joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal trombone in 1995. He previously served as assistant principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic and as principal trombone of the Rishon-Le Zion Symphony and Opera Orchestra. He also held the position of first trombone of the Israel Defense Forces Orchestra and performed with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Haroz has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. An active chamber musician, he won first prize at the François Shapira Competition and received several America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships.
He has commissioned and premiered several works for trombone and harp and has given recitals in such venues as the Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C.; the International Harp Congress in France; and the Tel Aviv Museum. Haroz has also performed with the Rishon-Le Zion Brass Quintet, the Israel Defense Forces Brass Quintet and the Israel Brass Ensemble. He joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1998.
Denson Paul Pollard is currently the bass trombonist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Originally from Newnan, Georgia, Pollard served as bass trombonist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic from 2001-2007. He has been the bass trombonist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the principle trombonist of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra. He was selected as a tenor trombonist at the 1995 Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan and was bass trombonist at the 1999 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Germany, the 2000 National Orchestral Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and the 2001 National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA. Pollard has performed with the Chicago Symphony and the Houston Symphony Orchestra.
His teachers have included Charles Vernon,
Joseph Alessi, David Gier, George Krem and Jim Roberts. In 2000, he was
awarded the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in performance and pedagogue
from the University of Iowa where he served as a teaching assistant in the
areas of musicology, jazz and applied trombone. Pollard holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in music education from Jacksonville State University in
Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Dr. Pollard has served on the faculties of the
Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University and
Hong Kong Chinese University. During the 2000 year, Pollard was professor of
trombone at the University of Northern Iowa.
As a commercial musician, Pollard has played with numerous shows. He was the
tuba/bass trombonist with tours of the revival of Showboat and the off-broadway
touring production of Annie. He played bass trombone for an 18-month tour
with Andrew Lloyd Weber's Music of the Night and the Barry Manilow Live
Concert Tour.
Mark H. Lawrence is the Principal Trombonist with the San Francisco Symphony, a position he has held since 1974. He has also been Principal Trombone with the Denver Symphony and a member of the Empire Brass Quintet.
Considered one of the finest trombonists of his generation, Tony Baker is currently a faculty member at the University of North Texas College of Music. Previously, Mr. Baker served as assistant professor of trombone at Ohio University and as visiting assistant professor of trombone and euphonium at Kent State University. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, he is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota and the University of Central Arkansas.
Mr. Baker's professional experience is as varied as it is substantial. As an orchestral musician, he has performed with ensembles such as the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, and the Columbus, Akron, Arkansas, and Duluth-Superior symphonies. Currently a member of the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (TX), he is also a member of the Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble (formerly the Minnesota Contemporary Ensemble); a Minneapolis/St. Paul-based group committed to the performance of modern works. Mr. Baker can be heard on the ensemble's latest release, I Dig, which features works by composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Les Baxter, and Henry Mancini.
Roger Oyster, principal trombonist with the Kansas City Symphony. Oyster has also performed as principal trombone with the Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Grant Park Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, National Symphony, St. Louis Symphony and Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra. He has soloed with both the Kansas City and St. Louis symphonies.
Oyster appears on more than 40 commercially
released recordings including several Grammy nominees and
one Grammy winner. He has been a contributing editor to
Listener magazine and The Audiophile Voice, reviewing
classical music CDs, as well as new music and movie sound
track recordings. His regular column, 'For the Record,' in
the Kansas City Symphony’s program magazine Ovation,
recommending recordings of the repertoire in performance,
just completed its fourth year of publication.
A clinician for both Bach trombones and Willson euphoniums,
he is an active recitalist and educator nationwide
nationwide
Born in Ames, Iowa, and raised in the Detroit area, Mr. Lawrence received his early musical training on the piano and cello. While living in Detroit, he became, at age sixteen, the youngest musician ever to play in the renowned Detroit Concert Band, under the direction of cornet virtuoso Leonard B. Smith. Mr. Lawrence attended the University of Michigan and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree. His teachers have included Carlos Rivera, Allen H. Chase, Glenn Smith, M. Dee Stewart, and Glenn Dodson.
Mr. Lawrence is an active soloist, clinician, chamber musician, and teacher. He has performed at the International Brass Conference, the International Trombone Conference, and is a frequent recitalist in this country and abroad. He has been soloist with the San Francisco Symphony on several occasions, and has been guest artist with many other orchestras as well. Mr. Lawrence is a founding member of Summit Brass, an ensemble comprised of outstanding brass players from across America. In addition he is a frequent performer with Chicago's Music of the Baroque.
Mr. Lawrence has been on the faculty of Boston University, the Tanglewood Institute, and the Music Academy of the West, and has given Master Classes worldwide. He currently teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory and the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute. Many of his former students have successful orchestral careers in the U.S. and in Europe.
The Baltimore Sun describes Trombonist David Perkel as having a “soulful, sustained tone and graceful phrasing…his interpretation was beautifully realized.”
Lead trombonist in the Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble since 2002, Mr. Perkel is a well rounded orchestral and jazz artist. As principal trombonist in the Annapolis Symphony, he performed the Overture for Trombone and Strings by Alan Hovhaness in January, 2003. Prior to joining the ASO, he was second trombonist in the Richmond Symphony for four seasons. In addition, he has performed with many orchestras around the country including the National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony and the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. As a jazz musician, Mr. Perkel was a member and featured soloist of the famed University of North Texas One O’clock Lab Band, the Dallas Jazz Orchestra and presently, the Commodores.
