Campus news and events

News Releases

Contact: Jason Marton
jason.marton@tamuk.edu or 361-593-4143

Trumpet students compete at national competition in Washington, D.C.

KINGSVILLE (March 9, 2006) — Five trumpet students from the Texas A&M University-Kingsville music department will be competing as semi-finalists in the upcoming National Trumpet Competition, to take place in Washington, D.C. Thursday through Sunday, March 16-19.

Music students Michael Acevedo, a junior from McAllen; Rafael Alarcon, a senior from Victoria; Eddie Bulnes, a freshman from Weslaco; Guillermo De La Cruz III, a sophomore from Rio Grande City; and Jorge Sanchez, a senior from La Joya, under the direction of A&M-Kingsville assistant professor of music Dr. Christopher Carrillo, submitted an audition tape. They were selected in January 2006 as semi-finalists in the Trumpet Ensemble Division from a field of some of the country’s leading universities and music programs.  Additionally, De La Cruz III was selected as a semi-finalist to compete in the College Solo Division.

“This is a great achievement for our students and lets them know that their Texas A&M-Kingsville music education is competing at a national level,” said Carrillo.

The students submitted a recording of a trumpet quintet entitled Prolegomenon by Dr. Rob Deemer, a visiting instructor of music at the University of Oklahoma.  Prolegomenon was composed specifically for Carrillo in 2005 and will make its world premiere at the competition.

While at the National Trumpet Competition, hosted by George Mason University, the A&M-Kingsville Trumpet Quintet will compete head-to-head with trumpet ensembles from some of the following universities of note:  Boston University, Cincinnati Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Louisiana State University, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Illinois, University of Kansas, University of Kentucky and the University of Texas.

The trumpet ensembles will compete over three days and be judged for cash prizes by world-renowned trumpeters.

This page last updated 10 March, 2006