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Publication Date

10-27-2005

Year of Release

2005

Note(s)

Martin Saunders, Tom Harmony, trumpet

Stephen Lawson, horn

Michael Stroeher, trombone

George Palton, tuba

John Linker, organ

About the Performers

Martin Saunders currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Jazz at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Prior to his move to Huntington he completed the first year of work toward the DMA in Trumpet Performance at the University of Oklahoma School of Music. Martin holds two degrees in music, a BME from Winthrop University, and a MM from Wright State University. In 1994, he accepted a musical position with the Heartland of America Band at Offutt Air Force Base, where he performed in the Concert Band, Ceremonial Band, and was the Musical Director and lead trumpeter for the Noteables Jazz Ensemble. Mr. Saunders has been an active performer and clinician for a number of universities and Jazz festivals across the United States. He was a guest clinician at the 1996 Ohio Chapter of the International Trumpet Guild state conference, was chosen to be a preliminary judge for the Jazz Competition of the 2000 International Trumpet Guild international conference, and for the past two years was selected to be one of the Artist Faculty for the National Trumpet Competition. Martin Saunders has performed with a number of entertainers such as Michael Feinstein, The Temptations, Rich Little, Frank Sinatra Jr., Crystal Gayle, Carol Channing, and Frankie Valli.

Tom Harmony received his bachelor's degree from Maranantha Baptist Bible College, where he studied with Rick Meztger, Principal Trumpet in the Milwaukee Symphony. He has performed with the 1st Brigade Band, the Madison Brass Quintet, the Mountain State Brass Band, and the River Cities Symphony. He has twice won first place in the Bob Jones University National Competition. Mr. Harmony has taught instrumental music at Grace Christian School since 1997, and is presently a candidate for the Master of Music in Performance at Marshall University, where he studies with Martin Saunders and serves as graduate assistant in the trumpet studio.

Dr. Stephen Lawson joined Marshall University faculty in the fall of 2002, teaching horn lessons, music theory and music education courses and is currently director of the MU Wind Symphony. He is a member of the Kingsbury Woodwind Quintet, and MU Faculty Brass Quintet. Lawson is a member of the Huntington Symphony Orchestra and, Ohio Valley Symphony and has performed with the West Virginia Symphony, River Cities Symphony and Seneca Chamber Orchestra on horn, since arriving in WV. From 1991-2002, Lawson taught at Minot State University in Minot, ND. At MSU, be taught horn, trumpet and guitar lessons, music theory and graduate research methods, and coached chamber music. From 1995-1998, Lawson was the music director and conductor of the Minot Symphony Orchestra. He has served as principal horn of the Minot Symphony and as principal trumpet of the Bismarck Symphony. Lawson has served on the faculties of Western Carolina University, Albion College and Lansing Community College and performed as a horn player with the Asheville Symphony (NC), Greater Lansing Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony and Flint Symphony (MI) and the Adirondack Symphony (NY). He has maintained an active schedule of adjudication, clinics and master classes, chamber music and solo recital performances throughout his career. A highlight was performing at the International Horn Society Workshop on a recital of historical horns at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, OR in 1996. Many of Lawson's recital appearances have involved the performance practices on historical horns.

Michael Stroeher is Professor of Low Brass at Marshall University in Huntington, West-Virginia. He received a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a Master of Music with honors in trombone performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. His Ph.D. in Music Education is from the University of North Texas, and he has taught in the St. Louis Public Schools, at Idaho State University, Phillips University and Augusta State University. As a trombonist Dr. Stroeher has performed and recorded with the St. Louis Symphony, the Aspen Festival Orchestra, the Greenville Symphony, The Augusta Symphony, and the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Ohio Valley Symphony, and the West Virginia Symphony. He is presently Principal Trombonist with the Huntington Symphony and has performed with such artists as Arthur Fiedler, Dave Brubeck, Michel Legrand, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and the Cab Calloway Orchestra. Dr. Stroeher has appeared as soloist with the Webster Symphony, the Mighty Mississippi Concert Band, the Augusta Concert Band, the Augusta State University Orchestra, the DeKalb Wind Ensemble, and the Marshall Wind Symphony. He has performed at the Eastern Trombone Workshop, the International Horn Conference, the International Trumpet Conference, and at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. Stroeher has published articles in the T.U.B.A. Journal, the International Trombone Association Journal, the Southeastern Journal of Music Education, and the Opera Journal, and he is in demand as clinician, adjudicator, soloist and guest conductor throughout the U.S.

George Palton, originally from Lakewood, Ohio, is a current DMA candidate at the University of Kentucky, where he studies with Dr. Skip Gray. Under the direction of Dr. Gray, George received his Masters Degree in Music Performance in 2004. He received his Bachelors Degree in Music Education and Music Performance on the tuba at Bowling Green State University, where he studied with Velvet Brown. While he was a resident in Northwest Ohio, George was the tubist for the Glass City Brass Quintet, a professional brass quintet in the Toledo area. He also served as the principal tubist for the Lima Symphony during the 2002-03 season. In addition to his professional performing activities he has served as the principal tubist in many of the top ensembles both at the University of Kentucky and at Bowling Green State University. His accolades at Bowling Green include being named the winner for the Concerto Competition in 2002. In 2001 he won First Prize for the Orchestral Brass Division of the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition. He was also the recipient of the "Brass Student of the Year," Bernice Ely Coulon Award for the 2001-2002 school year. Recently he has been a semi-finalist for the Tuba Artist Competition for both the 2004 International Tuba Euphonium Conference and the Falcone Festival in 2004 and 2005. In addition to his performing and teaching activities, he has recently published some of his pedagogical research in the Journal for the International Tuba Euphonium Association. He is currently serving as Adjunct Instructor of Tuba at Marshall University in Huntington, WV and of Low Brass at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY.

Note

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Lexington, KY

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department Presents the Marshall University Faculty Brass Quintet

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