Music students, instructor participate in Greece festival

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Accompanied by a member of the music faculty, four Northeastern State University music students took the trip of a lifetime when they took part in the Exploring Brass in Greece festival in Kalavryta from Jan. 3-10.

NSU students attending were Joshua Shoemaker, Sapulpa freshman; Jared Wallis, Talala junior; Austin Stunkard, Coweta junior; and Daniel Van Duyne, Wagoner junior. The four participated in master classes and activities, including Stunkard's victory over fellow trumpeters in an informal footrace at the original Olympic stadium.

"This was a wonderful experiences for the students," said Dr. Jason Dovel, assistant professor of music, who traveled with the students. "For three of the four it was their first time to visit Europe. We visited Athens and performed during two large concerts in Patra and Kleitoria. We also played an informal outdoor concert in Kalavryta."

Master classes, clinics and recitals were presented by internationally renowned trumpet artists including Gerassimos Ioannidis of the Orpheus Conservatory in Athens; Vince DiMartino, an international soloist and 2012 NSU Trumpet Festival featured artist; David Hickman of Arizona State University; Rich Illman of Michigan State University; Edward Reid of the University of Arizona; and Al Hood of the University of Denver.

Invited to the festival by DiMartino to serve as an instructor, Dovel coached chamber ensembles, taught a morning warm-up session and presented the lecture-recital "Baroque Trumpet and Early Music Performance Practice."

"For me personally, I learned so much as a faculty member," Dovel said. "It was a chance to collaborate with other faculty and I came back with about 20 pages of handwritten notes."

Sightseeing included a visit to Ancient Olympia, the Acropolis and the Greek Olympic Stadium in Athens. Students also visited the Place of Sacrifice, which memorializes the killing of the male population of Kalavryta by German occupiers on Dec. 13, 1943.

"The students came away from this overseas experience renewed and energized," Dovel said. "I would like to do this on a regular basis every second or third year so that NSU trumpet students have an opportunity to attend an international festival."

For more information about the trumpet program at NSU call Dovel at 918-444-2703.