Editor’s note: The following information was received from UW-Whitewater.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Department of Music announces the Trumpet Studio concert on Friday, March 18th at 7:30 p.m. They will perform “Winds of Change,” a collection of 12 new works for trumpet and piano written by marginalized and underrepresented composers. “Winds of Change” was published by Diversify The Stand and UW-Whitewater is the first university to ever perform the book in its entirety. This event is free to attend and open to the public. Masks are strongly suggested for anyone attending events in the Greenhill Center of the Arts and each performance in the Light Recital Hall will have a social distance seating option. Do not come to campus if you are ill. For the most up to date campus safety information, visit the Warhawks are Back webpage at the link below. uww.edu/warhawks-are-back.
“Diversifying the trumpet and classical music repertoire we regularly perform is important to enhancing students’ education as well as the depth and breadth of our performances” says Dr. Matthew Onstad, Assistant Professor of Trumpet. “For the purpose of teaching and performing, we want to expose our students and audiences to many different voices, sounds, cultures, and perspectives. As musicians, our mission as performers, educators, and creators should be to stretch our creative minds, ears, and viewpoints as far as we can. Our experiences with music reflect what is happening in the world. Thus, we should commit to exposing our community to music written by under-represented composers. The company ‘Diversify the Stand,’ created by Dr. Carrie Blosser and Ashley Killam, both all-star trumpet performers and educators, has committed to this exact mission by commissioning works by composers of color, gender-marginalized composers, and composers identifying as LGBTQ+. In 2021, the organization published 12 new works by diverse composers for trumpet and piano, a collection entitled ‘Winds of Change.’ I felt compelled to program these pieces for our Trumpet Studio Concert because the organization’s mission means so much to the innovation and expansion of the entire musical community. All twelve pieces, along with two trumpet ensemble pieces, are incredible works deserving of study and performance. We are looking forward to concertizing ‘Winds of Change,’ bringing this new music to life, and offering a free addition to the standard trumpet repertoire.”
Composers include: Karen Amrhein, Zoe Cutler, Devin Clara Fanslow, Gala Flagello, Gina Gillie, Marcus S. Grant, HyeKyung Lee, Yukiko Nishimura, Alonso Malik Pirio, Lara Poe, Rylee Short, and Angela Elizabeth Slater. Read more about the composers here.
The Trumpet Studio performers include students: Nick Andersen, Lily Freeman, Tyler Giegerich, Matthew Harvey, Ryan Maddix, Cassie Parrell, Jacob Pfannerstill and Nick Stuttgen.
A Wisconsin native, Dr. Matthew Onstad serves as Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he teaches applied trumpet, coaches chamber music, performs with the Whitewater Brass Quintet, and teaches World of the Arts. He has been Principal Trumpet with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra since 2016. While earning his DMA and MM degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Onstad served the Mead Witter School of Music as a Project Assistant performing with the Wisconsin Brass Quintet, a faculty ensemble-in-residence. He holds the rank of Staff Sergeant in the 132nd Wisconsin Army National Guard Band, and has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and the Isthmus Brass. Dr. Onstad has previously taught trumpet at St. Ambrose University, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He has served as a master clinician with the Wisconsin Brass Quintet, the 132nd Army Band, and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra throughout the Midwest. Dr. Onstad received his BM from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. His teachers include John Aley, Alex Noppe, Jean Laurenz, Marty Robinson, and Robert Levy. Matthew is an Edwards Instrument Artist and Clinician. www.matthewonstad.com
