What Happens In Vegas…

… also happens in Boise. And Provo. And even Salt Lake City. That is to say, from September 14-23, Ken Shifrin and Mike Hall took their “The Golden Age of the Solo Baroque Trombone” presentation to the University of Nevada , Boise State University, Brigham Young University and the University of Utah were they performed works for two alto trombones (Rosetti’s Concerto in Eb, and Hengstberger’s Salus) and solo works by Wagenseil-Reutter, Marcello, Handel and Corelli. At the University of Nevada and Brigham Young, Shifrin & Hall teamed up with the outstanding trombone professors, Nathan Tanouye and Will Kimball, respectively, on the Allegro from the Hanisch Triple Concerto, performed on three alto trombones; and were joined by Paul Olesuk (UNLV), Zac Crawford (BYU) and Professor Donn Schaefer’s students Nick Burnham and Austin Peiffer (UU) on the Speer Sonata and the Marini Canzona. Also at Brigham Young, Professor Kimball’s excellent trombone choir, conducted by Shifrin, performed Albrechtsberger’s Motetto and Bruckner’s Graduale Locus Iste. At Boise State, the recital was concluded with a rousing performance of Haydn’s Achieved is the Glorious Work, by Ivana Mullner, Daniel Quatrone, Elizabeth Brunelle, Casey Lindorfer, and other members of the talented trombone studio of Professor David Mathie, who conducted. In master classes, Dr Hall demonstrated the art of baroque performance practise, complete with ornamentation and embellishment, while Dr Shifrin invited students to answer “Tenor, Alto — Or Only If There’s a Doubling Fee”, in a quiz designed to test students knowledge of the appropriate trombone to play in standard symphonic repertoire as part of a lecture that dispelled many of the misconceptions about orchestral composers use of the alto trombone. Shifrin and Hall would like to thank the generosity of their hosts as well Conn-Selmer for the financial support in making this tour possible.

Shifrin Tours USA

Ken Shifrin’s recent tour of the USA during February and March included performances of the unique combination of two solo alto trombones. Shifrin, former Principal Trombonist in Sir Simon Rattle’s City of Birmingham Symphony in England and currently leader of Posaune Voce Trio, and Mike Hall (Professor of Trombone at Old Dominion University) performed the difficult double concertos originally for horns by Franz Joseph Haydn and Leopold Mozart, and Michael Haydn’s “Concertino”, accompanied by the Diehn String Quintet, in Norfolk and Richmond. Ken also performed these works with Mark Britt of Furman University and Chris Nigrelli of Lenoir Rhyne University, as well as with Professor Dan Cherry as part of the “University of Western Carolina’s Low Brass Days”. Bass Trombonist George Curran of the Atlanta Symphony joined Ken and Dan on Sonata by Daniel Speer and on a beautiful rendition of “Danny Boy” arranged by Ken’s accompanist, Robert Challinor, for three trombones and piano. During a four day residence in Gainesville for the University of Florida’s Low Brass Symposium, organized by distinguished trombone professor Art Jennings, Dr. Shifrin, who holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Oxford University, taught a master class on baroque performance practice and ornamentation, lectured musicology students on his post-doctoral research carried out for the Czech Academy of Science in Prague as a British Exchange Scholar, “The Role of Women in Bohemian Baroque”, as well as performed a “Baroque & Boogie Concert” with Challinor. They presented this program at several venues, including Gardner Webb University, where they were joined by trombone professor Aaron Misenheimer. In addition, Shifrin and Challinor also gave workshops on “How to Get the Best out of Your Accompanist – and Vice- Versa” during the tour, which culminated with a recital performance of Michael Haydn’s “Concertino” with the Army Band’s Principal Trombonist Fred Gleason, accompanied by the USA Army chamber ensemble at the Eastern Trombone Workshop.

Shifrin And Hall: The Golden Age Of The Baroque Solo Trombone

From November 9th – 20th, Ken Shifrin and Mike Hall took their program,“The Golden Age of the Solo Baroque Trombone” to the Lone Star State of Texas. Appearing at four schools of music, solo works included compositions by Wagenseil and Marcello,while the two teamed up on alto trombones to perform the Double Concerto in Eb by Antonio Rosetti. Master classes consisted of presentations on baroque performance practise and ornamentation by Dr Hall, Professor of Trombone at Old Dominion University, while Dr Shifrin discussed the history of the alto trombone as a favoured solo-obbligato instrument in sacred works in the baroque era through it use in the symphony orchestra, sharing with students a number of works for solo baroque trombone he uncovered as an Oxford University post-doctoral researcher in the music archives of Prague and Vienna. At the University of Texas (Arlington) and Texas Christian University, Professor of Trombone, Dennis Bubert (the distinguished Bass Trombonist of the Fort Worth Symphony) and Professor of Trombone, David Begnoche lent their performance expertise in the original baroque trombone quartets for trombone, Sonata by Daniel Speer and Canzona by Biagio Marini, as well as in the sacred aria, Alme Redemptoris, by Ziani. At the University of Texas (Austin) and Texas Tech University, Shifrin and Hall were joined by Professor Nathaniel Bricken’s outstanding graduate student, Joe Brown and Trombone Professor James Decker, respectively, on the Hanisch Allegro from the Triple Concert in Eb, performed by three alto trombones. Also as part of their program at these two schools, Shifrin and Hall conducted the superb trombone choirs in works by Albrechtsberger, Bach and Bruckner, and concluded the concert with a performance of the Gabrieli Sonata Octavi Toni for twelve trombones, in two antiphonal choirs, with Shifrin and Hall playing the stratospheric licks in the first parts (customarily performed by trumpets) on alto trombones. As an impromptu encore, Shifrin did his rendition of the Dominoes’ 50s hit, “60 Minute Man” — not very baroque, but it surely “b-roke” up the audience!

Shifrin In Recital At Janecek Music Festival

On November 18, 2010, Ken Shifrin, formerly Principal Trombone of England’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, presented a recital at the prestigious Janacek International Music Festival in the Monastery of Stare Brno in the Czech Republic. With the assistance of Jana Wallingerova (mezzo-soprano soloist with the Janacek Opera) and Robert Challinor (piano), the program included the “St Thomas Sonata for Trombone”, Caldara’s “Domine Deus”, Leopold Mozart’s “Agnus Dei” and Ziani’s “Alma Redemptoris Mater.” Guests Mike Hall, Professor of Trombone at Old Dominion University , and Martin Chmelar of the Czech Academy of Music joined Ken to give the Czech premiere of the Allegro from the Hanisch “Concerto for Three Horns”, performed by alto trombone trio. Dr. Shifrin, a PhD in musicology, also delivered a lecture based on the post-doctoral research he carried out for Oxford University on Janacek’s musical education and the historical development of music in the Moravian capital.

The Golden Age Of The Solo Baroque Trombone

From September 23-30, Ken Shifrin and Mike Hall took their presentation, “The Golden Age of the Solo Baroque Trombone in Vienna and Prague”, to New Mexico State University, the University of New Mexico and the University of Texas (El Paso). Their repertoire featured compositions from the Baroque Era, including double alto trombone works by Leopold Mozart and J. Michael Haydn. Shifrin also performed the Wagenseil Concerto. At Las Cruces they were ably assisted by students of Trombone Professor Allan Kaplan, and at El Paso by Trombone Professor Steve Wilson in original baroque trombone works of Speer, Marini and Monteverdi. As guests of Karl Hinterbichler at the University of New Mexico, Shifrin & Hall also conducted the outstanding combined trombone choirs of Tonya Ackely (the Frawgbones) and Neil Weinberg (Ambush Brass) in the Boyce Alleluia, Handel Pater Noster and Hassler Three Madrigals, among other works. Master classes consisted of lectures on Baroque Performance Practice in which the duo team-taught and demonstrated baroque ornamentation. Dr. Shifrin also spoke about his post-doctoral research undertaken for Oxford University in the archives of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, and played extracts from solo works for the baroque trombone which he uncovered.
At El Paso, Shifrin, the former Principal Trombone under Sir Simon Rattle of England’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, gave a master class on orchestral repertoire in which he coached Professor Wilson’s well-prepared students and discussed the various and sometimes conflicting demands by leading conductors under whom he has played.
Also in September, Dr. Shifrin was a guest of Trombone Professor Joel Pugh and Head of Brass/Trumpet Professor Ronnie Ingle at the University of North Dakota, where he gave a master class on solo and orchestral repertoire, and performed in recital, highlights of which were the first performance of Alme Ingrate by Emperor Joseph I, transcribed for alto trombone and piccolo trumpet (superbly played by Ronnie Ingle), M. Haydn’s Concertino with Joel Pugh, and in ensemble with Dr. Pugh and his outstanding students and Professor of Theory, Dr. Christopher Gamble. Shifrin concluded the program with “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” and Leadbelly Leadbetter’s “Why Do You Do Me Like You Do?” on tenor trombone and vocals, and his theatre piece rendition of Elegy for Mippy II-Thousand.

Ken Shifrin in Bratislava and Prague

Recently, Ken Shifrin was a guest of the Slovakian Academy of Music in Bratislava and the Prague Conservatoire of Music. Included on the Bratislava recital was J.M. Haydn’s “Concertino” performed on two alto trombones, in which he was joined by his esteemed colleague, Mike Hall of Old Dominion University; and Daniel Speer’s “Sonata”, ably assisted by Slovakian Philharmonic trombonist Brano Belorid.
Drawing on his research for Oxford University and the Czech Academy of Science, Dr. Shifrin lectured on the historical background of the solo baroque trombone, focusing on the Wagenseil “Concerto” on which he then conducted a Master Class with students of Professor Albert Hrubovcak. The Master Class was organised by former Slovakian Philharmonic trombonist, Josef Gasparovic.
In Prague, Dr. Shifrin was joined by Pavel Cermak, the renowned Principal Trombonist of the Czech Radio Symphony, where in the elegant recital hall of the Palfy Palace they peformed on alto trombones Leopold Mozart’s “La Caccia”, Michael Haydn’s “Concertino”, and F.J. Haydn’s “Concerto in Eb”. Shifrin also gave a seminar on his recent discoveries of solo baroque trombone repertoire that he has uncovered in the archives of Vienna, Prague, and Brno. The event was organised by Conservatoire Trombone Professors Josef Simek and Vaclav Ferebauer and was attended by trombone students from throughout the Czech Republic. Mr. Cermak will once again join Ken Shifrin with his ensemble Posaune Voce Trio for a series of concerts in upper Bohemia this spring.

Ken Shifrin Online