OSU trumpet ensemble wins first place in national competition
Friday, March 28, 2014
The win is especially impressive considering that the members of the OSU ensemble
are all undergraduate students who competed against ensembles with graduate students,
many from much bigger and better-known programs. “They competed with masters and doctoral
students from conservatories and other major universities, to win this,” said Dr.
Ryan Gardner, ensemble director, who added, “I am so proud of these talented students
and truly honored and humbled by this achievement.”
Members of the winning ensemble include Cleon Chai from Moore; Nick Doutrich, Moore;
Tyler Murray, Checotah; Natalie Upton, Prosper, Texas, and Matt Register, Boerne,
Texas.
After a preliminary audition, the orange ensemble advanced to the semi-finals and
onto victory by performing an arrangement of Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of
a Faun,” arranged by OSU graduate student and Mustang North Middle School Band Director
Greg Mangus. The orange ensemble was one of two OSU trumpet ensembles which qualified
for the semi-finals this year. Gardner has fielded ensembles that have reached the
semi-finals of the competition each year since 2012.
OSU students who advanced to compete in the individual competition of the semi-finals
this year included Cleon Chai in the undergraduate division, and Randall Self, from
Denison, Texas, in the graduate division.