A trombone quartet from Texas A&M University-Kingsville School of Music was named the winner of the International Trombone Association’s (ITA) trombone quartet competition in July at Columbus State University in Georgia.
The quartet, named The Chulobones, consists of three music education and performance majors, including Joey Guerra of Brownsville; Guillermo Navarro of Laredo, Carlos D. García of Brownsville; and A&M-Kingsville alumni Eden Garza, of Alice, who is currently a graduate student at the University of Texas. The students’ coaches are Dr. Óscar Diaz, professor of trombone at Texas A&M-Kingsville; Dr. Megan Boutin, adjunct professor of trombone at Texas A&M-Kingsville; and Dr. Nathaniel Brickens, Professor of Trombone from UT-Austin.
Diaz said the competition was different since the other groups who placed in the final round did not make it to perform in person at the 2021 International Trombone Festival.
“We found out that both groups from Europe decided not to come to the contest,” he said. “[The Chulobones] didn’t just win by default. It’s actually harder because if they are not up to the judges standards, they will not win. It’s happened before... They’re not going to let just anyone win.”
Diaz said the quartet played to the best of their ability and won the competition. They won $1,000 which was split among the group and were featured in the winner’s concert during the festival.
“I was ecstatic,” Diaz said. “Even if the other groups would have been there, it would have been hard to beat them. I was happy with the way they played.”
