By Julie A Cajigas
Nearly everyone has heard a student practicing his or her instrument. Whether it’s your neighbor’s son who just picked up his trumpet for junior high band or your niece playing scale after scale on the piano for her first year in college, the sound of student practicing and playing is something we’ve all heard.
My experience with the trombone has been limited to student playing. Solo recitals by professional trombonists are so rare in Cleveland (2-4 per year), that I’ve not yet had the opportunity to hear a world-class trombonist play solo repertoire.
That all changed this past Sunday afternoon.
Shachar Israel, the Assistant Principal Trombone for the Cleveland Orchestra and the director and founder of the newly-minted Cleveland Trombone Seminar (CTS) decided to open the inaugural year of the seminar, a week of trombone education and performances, with his own solo recital.
Hearing a player of this caliber on solo trombone for the first time was magnificent. It reminded me of the first time I saw a Monet in person – the sheer magic of the brushstrokes and the immediate recognition of brilliance beyond what I had seen before. From the first note to the last, it was a sublime performance.
With four more recitals offered as part of the Cleveland Trombone Seminar this week, you too can experience world-class solo trombone performances for free. But, more on that in just a moment.
If you asked most what was the most impressive about Israel’s performance, the sheer flexibility and speed of his playing would be first on the list for many. The virtuosic acrobatics in the fast movements of Albinoni’s Concert for Oboe in G Minor, Op. 9 # 8 and J.S. Bach’s Suite #2 in d minor for Solo Cello offered plenty of fireworks to push the listeners to the edge of their seats.
One of the highlights of the recital for me was in the Bach where it sounded as if Israel was sounding two pitches simultaneously on his Greenhoe optimized trombone. It was almost as if he created the characteristic pull of the cello bow against the strings where Bach called for a “double stop,” or two strings played together. Later, Israel told me he created this effect using a technique called Multiphonics, where the trombonist sings and plays simultaneously.
But, if you asked me what made Shachar Israel’s solo recital a listening experience I will never forget, I would immediately recall the soaring, graceful lines Israel achieved in his arrangements of Chopin’s Nocturnes and Piazzolla’s Oblivion. One of the most breathtaking moments during the recital was a final note that seemed to taper imperceptibly forever until it faded to nothing. I heard the breath of one of the concertgoers behind me catch in that moment – mine did too. Props are also due to accompanist Samantha Biniker whose part in the music was convincingly and beautifully executed.
Now, back to the good news – it’s not too late! You too can hear world renowned trombonists offer up exciting solo recitals this week as part of the Cleveland Trombone Seminar, which is hosted by the Cleveland State University Department of Music. Recitals will be given by trombonists Haim Avitsur on Tue 6/12 at 7 PM, Edward Zadrozny on Wed 6/13 at 7 PM and Mark Lancaster Lusk on Fri 6/15 at 7 PM. On Sat 6/16 at 7 PM, treat yourself to the seminar’s final concert featuring the 2012 CTS participants.
“Trombone recitals given by professional players don’t happen very often in the area,” says Shachar Israel. “There might be 2 to 4 in the Cleveland area any given year. This week alone, the public gets to hear six trombone recitals given at a professional level,” he says.
Each of these recitals is free and open to the public, and will be performed in Drinko Recital Hall on the campus of Cleveland State University, who is hosting the seminar. Parking is free in the lot on the corner of E 22 and Chester when you tell the attendant you are attending a recital.
While the public might be the most excited about the opportunity to hear free recitals by top-notch trombonists, the Cleveland Trombone Seminar brings more than performances to Cleveland State University. The CTS offers a week of intense education with a variety of professional players for trombone students and trombonists in the region.
“Every chance a student gets to stand in front of people and play, that’s another performance in their bank of experience,” says Israel. “It’s also important to hear great trombone players playing live.” The CTS offers this and more to the 17 students who have traveled from all over the Midwest region to participate.
One opportunity the participants of the CTS had to hear professional trombonists performing live was the inaugural performance by The Great Lakes Trombone Choir on Monday evening. The Great Lakes Trombone Choir is a newly formed ensemble comprised of professional musicians from the Great Lakes region of the United States. The trombonists are members of the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the faculties of the University of Akron and Cleveland State University.
The opportunities for learning and listening don’t stop there. “We have a stellar faculty who are each very different,” says Israel. “We have an orchestra player, a full-time professor, a Broadway pit musician and more represented on our faculty.”
“The seminar participants get exposed to all of these options and are able to talk to faculty who have had a career that they are aspiring to,” he says. “Talking to us and listening to the faculty, that’s an experience in itself.”
The 17 participants and others auditing sections of the seminar take part in master classes, private lessons, ensembles, trombone choir and clinics in wellness and education.
Another important aspect of the CTS is camaraderie. “Students can sometimes be in a bubble,” says Israel. “We deserve to have one of these seminars here in Cleveland in the Midwest so students can start meeting students in the area and develop better contact with other players and the reality of playing in the current environment.”
As to why Israel founded the Cleveland Trombone Seminar, he wanted to bring musicians together. “A lot of this is my love of music and trombone,” he says. “A whole week about trombone… I would have a month if I could.”
The Cleveland Trombone Seminar Recital Schedule:
This Tue 6/12 at 7 PM, Haim Avitsur, founder of the Summer Trombone Workshop, which has national and international residencies will offer a solo recital including works by Lars-Erik Larsen and Gustav Mahler. Bone up on your favorite tunes because Avitsur will also perform a “Name that Tune –Trombone Challenge” with 33 experts from 15 pieces for Trombone and Piano.
On Wed 6/13 at 7 PM, Edward Zadrozny, a Professor Emeritus of Trombone at The University of Akron and former Principle Trombone for the Akron Symphony Orchestra and Napes Philharmonic, will perform a program including Ralph Vaughn William’s well known Songs of Travel and Conversation, a duet by Charles Small featuring his CTS faculty colleague Mark Lancaster Lusk on bass trombone.
On Fri 6/15 at 7PM, Mark Lancaster Lusk will treat his audience to Hornsongs by Brahms, assisted by CTS director Shachar Israel. His program will also feature works by J.S. Bach, Robert Spillman, John Harmon and John Stevens.
On Sat 6/16 at 7PM the 17 participants of the Cleveland Trombone Seminar will combine to give a final recital showcasing all they have learned during CTS 2012. The group will form the 2012 CTS Trombone Choir and perform a number of pieces, including works by Giovanni Gabrieli, Franz Biebl, Eric Ewazen, John Harmon, Richard Strauss, Leonard Bernstein, Biagio Martini, J.S. Bach and more.
The Cleveland Trombone Seminar is hosted by the Cleveland State University Music Department from Sun 6/10 – Sat 6/16. Visit http://ClevelandTromboneSeminar.org for more information and a performance schedule. Find the CTS on Facebook here.
Julie Cajigas is a Cleveland girl who grew up on the East & West Side and now lives near Akron – she’s got the whole town covered. Cajigas holds Bachelors Degrees in Communication and Music, along with a Masters in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology from Cleveland State University, and currently serves as a visiting lecturer in the The University of Akron’s School of Communication.
Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115