Members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are certainly looking forward to the visit of American superstar trumpet player Allen Vizzutti later this year.

As recently reported on 4BR, Vizzutti will be making a special trip to the UK in September to perform in an eagerly awaited 'Top Brass' concert on Tuesday 22nd September, conducted by Cory Band MD Philip Harper.

Included in the programme will be works by composers as diverse as Bernstein, Daugherty, Gregson, Bach, Tomasi and Watson.

Excited RPO Brass

And the trip has not just excited music lovers who are looking forward to hearing him play, but especially the members of the RPO Brass Section — as sub-principal trumpet and RPO Chairman, Adam Wright exclusively told 4BR.

"There are two things that stand out when looking back at my four years of studying at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM): Performing in its many brass ensemble concerts and playing through my copy of Allen Vizzutti's technical studies book."

Opportunity

Adam added: "As a youngster, I was fortunate enough to play in many local and national youth orchestras, including the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO). These ensemble experiences convinced me that I wanted to be an orchestral trumpet player.

However, at the time, I hadn't had much brass ensemble experience, and so I was blown away when I had the opportunity at RAM to play works that had been made famous by the likes of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, with coaches such as James Watson and John Wallace.

It was a whole new challenging and very exciting world for me.

Vizzutti method

Adam revealed that it was the famous Vizzutti 'Trumpet Method' book that helped him along the way though.

"Perhaps it was my lack of banding in my college years, or just my dodgy technique, but I vividly remember my teachers constantly telling me to keep working through Allen Vizzutti's technical studies book, 'Trumpet Method'.

Despite finding the book incredibly challenging (even to this day), I very much doubt that I would have got my job at the RPO if I hadn't spent many, many hours practising those fiendish exercises."

Thanks

Little did Adman think though that a few years later he would be able to thank the great man for launching his musical career!

"When I found out that we would be performing an RPO brass and percussion concert with Allen on his last visit (above), I couldn't wait — especially as I would actually get to perform with one of my heroes!

I also had the strange urge to tell him how difficult his technical exercises had made college life for me, but I resisted the temptation (which was probably for the best).

The concert was an amazing experience and was described in a review as 'one of those great nights in the London Brass world. Both for audience and performer — If you weren't there, you should have been!'"

Something else

He added: "Hearing the RPO brass and percussion in full flow made me extremely proud to be a member of this wonderful orchestra, and hearing Vizzutti live and up close was something else.

From his remarkable, technical precision in 'Carnival of Venice' to his ridiculous 'Firedance' and sensuous mellow tone in 'Funny Valentine', he lived up to everybody's expectations, and brought a whole lot more to the stage.

So, little wonder Adam will be enjoying himself when Allen returns in September then....

When I found out that we would be performing an RPO brass and percussion concert with Allen on his last visit, I couldn't wait — especially as I would actually get to perform with one of my heroes!RPO Principal Trumpet Adam Wright

Concert details

The 'Top Brass 2015' concert will take place at Cadogan Hall on Tuesday 22nd September (7.30pm).

The programme will include Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor', the world premiere of Allen's own composition 'Quarks' and Edward Gregson's 'Symphony in Two Movements'.

For more information go to:

( http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?offset=25&id=20392#.VXgbDflVhBc)

For tickets, go to:

To find out more and book early tickets go to:
http://www.rpo.co.uk/whats-on/¬eventdetail/299/-/top-brass-2015