The last NTC Historic Division was in 2009. In addition to the already-established baroque trumpet category, I had tried to continue to diversify the competition by including a bugling category (with Jari Villanueva as the intended guest artist) and a flugelhorn category (Franz Streitwieser had promised $5000 to help with the flugelhorn category). However, there really weren’t enough applicants to justify the new categories.
The final rounds of the 5th annual NTC Historic Division took place at George Mason University on March 14, 2009.
The top prize (the Reiche Award–open age, with the use of fingerholes) went to a contestant who had competed many years, and showed remarkable progress, Don Johnson, whose prize was a Naumann Baroque Trumpet.
Next, the College-age prize, the Fantini Award–up to age 23, went to Aaron Witek, a student at Florida State University. He showed remarkable musicianship in winning his prize, which was two weeks tuition to the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
Dominic Favia, of Vienna, Virginia, who, at the age of 15, went up against open-aged competitors, and won first prize in the No-Holes Award. Dominic received tuition to the 2009 Natural Trumpet Making Workshop.
The runner-up in the No-Holes Award went to George Mason University student, Benjamin Malick, who received prizes from the Historic Brass Society.
Don Johnson, also competed in the No Holes category. He played not only a circular natural trumpet by Robert Barclay (he tried hand stopping on this instrument), but also an actual antique natural trumpet by Ehe.
I was especially proud of Dominic and Benjamin, who were my students!! (I recused myself from judging the No Holes category)
The Historic Brass Society provided lots of goodies to all of the first-prize winners and runners up.
The judges were: Me–I was the organizing Chair. The Assistant Chair was Dr. Kathryn James Adduci, San Jose State University. In addition, there were Dr. Robert Birch, George Washington University; Dr. Ralph Dudgeon, SUNY Cortland; Dr. Elisa Koehler, Goucher College; Mr. Nathaniel Mayfield, Trumpet Soloist. Jari Villanueva was scheduled to be the Honorary Chair, but his position with the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, prevented him from judging.
This was the last historic division, because the NTC needed the Historic Division to raise more money for future competitions–much more than was possible. It was sad to bring this to a close.
Also sad was the fact that I did not have any photos from this last Historic Division Competition.
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