José Chafer
José CHAFER is trumpet teacher in Melcior Gomis Conservatory in Ontinyent, Spain and Professor of Trumpet at the Conservatory “Manuel Massotti Littel” of Murcia, where he is the Head of the Brass Department. He has hosted nine International Music Courses of the town of Ollería, working with some of the most relevant brass players around the world like the German Brass, Mnozil Brass, Ronald Romm, Eric Aubier, Rex Richardson and others. José frequently gives masterclasses to universities and festivals all over the world. He has performed as a soloist at the 2013 and 2018 International Trumpet Guild Conference, the International Belgian Brass Academy in 2013 and 2017, China Trumpet Conference in 2014, 2016 and 2019 and the 1st and 2nd International trumpet Conference in Lodz. He has premiered many new works, written and dedicated to him in Europe and North America, including premieres of Vizzutti and Stephenson works. As an orchestral musician, he has performed with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona, Orquesta Sinfónica de Murcia and Orquesta del Teatro Chapi. He founded the Quórum Brass Quintet and Collage Brass Ensemble and also has performed with Barna Brass and Spanish Brass. Chafer’s teachers have included Manuel López, Ernest Aparisi, Vicente Campos, Luis González, and Eric Aubier. In September 2016 presented his second solo CD “Textures,” winning two Silver Medals at the Global Music Awards. His first solo CD “Spirit,” won in March 2016 the Global Music Awards Silver Medal for Classical Instrumentalist. Jose Chafer is Yamaha Performing Artist, Warburton Artist and Blackbinder Ambassador.
Natural de l’Olleria, comienza sus estudios en la Sociedad Musical de su localidad, con los profesores D. Vicente Gil y D. Manuel López , para proseguirlos en el Conservatorio Profesional de Onteniente de la mano de D. Miguel Sarrió, con el cual recibe el título de Profesor de Trompeta y el Premio Extraordinario. En 1998 termina sus estudios superiores en el Conservatorio Superior de Música “Manuel Massotti Littel” de Murcia, con el profesor D. Ernest Aparisi Moreno con las máximas calificaciones, y con el que ha realizado varios cursos. Y continua trabajando con Luis González, Eric Aubier y en la Academia Spanish Brass. Desde 1996 hasta 1999 es miembro de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Alicante y desde Septiembre de 1997 es trompeta solista de la Orquesta de Jóvenes de la Región de Murcia y, miembro de su grupo de metales. Ha sido invitado por la Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, la OBC y, la Orquesta Sinfónica de Murcia, como trompeta solista, con la que ha realizado numerosas grabaciones en directo para RNE. Ha sido Profesor de Trompeta de las 9 ediciones del Curso Internacional de Música “Vila de L’Ollería” (CIMVO), realizados desde el 2004 junto a Eric Aubier, Uwe Koeller, Gabriele Cassone, Rubén Marqués, Manu Mellaerts, Rex Richardson y, Richard Stoelzel y del cual es Director Artístico desde 2005. Es invitado para impartir Clases Magistrales fuera de España, en el Real Conservatorio de Bruselas (Belgica) en 2009 y 2010, y en 2011 en la Haute École de Músique Geneve (Suiza) y en la Virginia Commonwealth University (USA). En 2012 ha sido invitado al Grand Valley State University Trumpet Seminar (USA) donde ha compartido experiencias con algunos de los mas grandes trompetistas del mundo. Tambien es invitado para impartir diferentes Cursos y Master Classes de Trompeta (Caudete, Abanilla, Abaran, Albaida y los Conservatorios de Denia, Vitoria, Almeria y, Granada). Para el año 2013 ha sido invitado como profesor al IBBA 2013 en Belgica donde ofreció un concierto, como Artista a la 38th Annual Conference of the International Trumpet Guild que se celebró del 11 al 15 de Junio en Michigan, en Julio al Grand Valley State University Trumpet Seminar, en Octubre al I International Trumpet Conference in Lodz, Polonia y al Conservatorio Superior de Venezia, donde impartirá unas clases magistrales y ofrecerá varios conciertos además, de estar pendiente de cerrar otros proyectos en Europa. Es Artista Yamaha. Desde el año 2002 es Profesor Numerario de Trompeta del Cuerpo de Profesores de Musica y Artes Escénicas y en la actualidad y desde el curso 04/05 ocupa la Cátedra de Trompeta del Conservatorio Superior de Música “Manuel Massotti Littel” de Murcia, donde es el jefe del Departamento de Viento Metal.SC: José, I have enjoyed following your career since I heard you at the 2018 International Trumpet Guild Conference in San Antonio, Texas. So, I am delighted to do this interview with you today.
JCM: Hi Stan, it’s my pleasure to chat with you!
SC: Then, you went to a conservatory. Tell me about your experiences there. How old were you?
JCM: I went to the conservatory quite late, because it was not clear at first that I wanted to be a musician and trumpet player. I was a high school student, and then I started working in a company office. In 1994, I went to the professional conservatory to finish the last courses and then to the conservatory “superior”, where I finished my official studies in 1998.
SC: Luego, fuiste a un conservatorio. Cuéntame tus experiencias allí. ¿Cuántos años tenías?
SC: I have read that you studied with many teachers from all over the world. What did you learn from them?
JCM: The truth is that I worried about taking lessons (always supported by my parents) with different teachers in master classes and private lessons with trumpeters such as Eric Aubier, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Thomas Stevens, Gabrielle Cassone, James Thomson, Luis Gonzalez, Spanish Brass, etc. From all of them, I have learned incredible things, and I have been taking a little of each one to create my own study system, which I have then tried to transmit to my students.
SC: He leído que estudiaste con muchos profesores de todo el mundo. ¿Qué aprendiste de ellos?
SC: You have such a beautiful sound. How did you work to get that tone?
JCM: Well, I think it is the result of all the work done over many years, and I don’t think there is any secret formula. In my mind, constant work and perseverance are the key to success, along with an intelligent study. I am preparing a presentation right now that talks about that. I’m calling it, ‘Attention to basic and elementary details in the study of the trumpet as a guarantee of success’.
SC: You are an international soloist. What have been some of your most memorable performances?
At 2018 ITG Conference: Steve Leisring, Jose Sibaja, Alex Freund, Ryan Anthony, Philip Biggs, Doc Severinsen, José and Jens Lindemann
JCM: Despite complications that we have in Spain with our educational system regarding permits (*) to be able to perform concerts, I have had the opportunity to perform in some events of incredible magnitude from my point of view, such as the ITG Conference in 2013 and 2018, International Belgian Brass Academy twice, China trumpet seminar several times, and Poland Trumpet Conference twice.
* To clarify: I was referring to the fact that in Spain we have to be inside the classroom with practically no possibility of changing any class since it considers that we are educators, not artists or performers. On rare occasions, they give us permissions and let us travel. Right now the unions are reviewing the license and permit manual, and I hope it will change for the better soon. I have a lot of envy, when I see the flexibility many of my colleagues (university professors in the U.S.) have with this and the support they get for activities off campus (to attend congresses and courses, to perform concerts, etc.). Consider that in order to travel to ITG in San Antonio, I had to request a special permit without my salary for two weeks. To avoid this we must look for dates in the holiday period, and you already know that it is almost never possible because the institutions that you must visit are also on vacation …
SC: Am I right that you also organize a festival called “Vila de L’Ollería” International Music Course (CIMVO)? Tell me about this.
Students of CIMVO together with the teachers
JCM: That’s right !! This year (2021) we are going to present the seventeenth edition, if the pandemic does not prevent it. It’s a very modest festival in a small town, but we work hard and have had some of the greatest artists in the world here with us. At the beginning we bet on all the specialties of “Brass,” plus others such as saxophone, flute, harmony … but with the passing of the years and less and less aid from companies and administrations…. and the last 6 or 7 years has focused on our instrument.
As strange as it may seem, we were the first festival to have German Brass in Spain, and then artists such as Mnozil Brass, Belgian Brass, Eric Aubier, Gabrielle Cassone, Dai Zhonghui, Richard Stoelzel, Manu Mellaerts, Slawomir Cichor, Igor Cecocho, Adam Rapa, Marco Pierobon, Jorge Almeida, Steve Leisring, Andrea Tofanelli, Rex Richardson, Franck Pulcini, Øystein Baadsvik, Enrique Crespo, Eric Terwilliguer, Tim and Jessica Buzbee, etc …
Soloists at CIMVO 2019; in this group are Ismael Batancor, José, Steve Leisring, Adán Delgado and Dad Zhonghui
JCM: Así es !! Este año 2021 vamos a presentar la XVII edición, si la pandemia no lo impide. Somos un festival muy humilde en un pueblo pequeño, pero trabajamos duro y hemos tenido aquí con nosotros a algunos de los más grandes artistas a nivel mundial. En su inicio apostamos por todas las especialidades del “Brass”, más otras como saxofón, flauta, armonia…. pero con El Paso de los años y cada vez menos ayudas por parte de las compañías y las administraciones hemos ido enfocándolo hacia la trompeta….y los últimos 6 o 7 años se ha centrado en nuestro instrumento.
SC: Do you play chamber music or in an orchestra?
José and one of his students performs a concerto by Erik Morales
JCM: I have played in brass quintets and large ensembles in the past, as well as playing extra in orchestras. But for a few years I have been more focused on my solo recitals and my classes as a visiting professor in the different institutions I visit. In addition, there are several very special chamber music projects such as Monochromatic Duo with the trumpeter, Slawomir Cichor. We released our first CD, “One to One,” that earned two silver medals from the California Global Media Awards. And another project for three trumpets and organ, called G-BRASS Project together with trumpeters Slawomir and Manu Mellaerts and organist, Luc Ponet. The latest project is the Skuba Trio, for trumpet, Violin and piano, but, after two concerts, the pandemic stopped our activity.
José playing in the Diània Symphony Orchestra, summer of 2019
JCM: he tocado en brass quintet y en large ensemble en el pasado, así como freelance o part time en orquesta. Pero desde hace unos años estoy mas centrado en mis recitales como solista y mis clases como profesor invitado en las diferentes instituciones que visito, ademas de varios proyectos de música de cámara muy especiales como son Monochromatic Duo, junto al trompetista Slawomir Cichor y con el que hemos sacado nuestro primer CD “ one to one” que se llevó dos medallas de plata de los Global Media Awards de California al Álbum y al dúo. Y otro proyecto para tres trompetas y órgano llamado G-BRASS Project junto al mismo Slawomir , Manu Mellaerts y Luc Ponet al órgano.
El último proyecto es Skuba Trío, para trompeta, Violin y piano, pero la pandemia después de nuestros primeros dos conciertos, hizo que tuviésemos que parar nuestra actividad.SC: Where do you teach now?
JCM: Right now I have a tenured position at the Conservatorio Profesional d’Ontinyent, which is less than 20km from my town, where I live with my family. Here, there is a fantastic team of teachers (some of them I have known for many years) that are very involved with the institution and always ready for interesting projects.
SC: What do you like to do when you are not playing the trumpet?
JCM: I like a lot of things besides trumpet stuff–haha! I enjoy cycling on both road- and mountain-bikes. I like spending time with my family, and enjoying good food accompanied by good wine.
SC: That’s right! Spain has such good food and wine! And what are your plans for the future, especially when we overcome this pandemic?
JCM: Well, it’s a difficult question because we don’t know what will happen in the short term. At the moment I am cautious about scheduling activities, but the next ones are online talks and presentations. The first live concert will be in July with G-Brass and the XVII CIMVO festival in early August. Then next year I would like to be able to visit the USA again, where I had planned a visit. I hope that some universities are interested in inviting me and thus being able to organize a mini tour. And hoping that everything returns to normal and we can continue with our activities.
JCM: Bueno, es una pregunta difícil porque no sabemos que pasará en breve. De momento soy prudente en programar actividades, y las próximas son charlas y ponencias online. El primer concierto será en julio con G-Brass y el XVII CIMVO festival a comienzos de Agosto. Luego el curso que viene me gustaría poder visitar de nuevo USA, donde tenía pendiente alguna visita, y espero que algunas universidades se interesen en invitarme y así poder organizar una mini gira. Y deseando que todo vuelva a la normalidad y podamos continuar con nuestras actividades.