Rarely do trumpet players as young as 18 get an opportunity to do what Lake Orion High School grad Kyle Upton recently did in Washington, D.C.
With organ accompaniment, Upton soloed to works by Franz Josef Haydn, Alan Hovhaness and Henry Purcell, at the fourth concert of the Grace Church Bach Festival in Georgetown.
‘This was my first professional type of engagement,? said Upton, who is planning a career in music.
The trumpet player was invited to D.C. by his usual accompanist, Dr. Larry Hammerling of Rochester. Hammerling played works by Bach (alternating between organ and harpsichord).
‘I was very pleased,? he said. ‘It was probably my best performance to date.?
The concert was reviewed by The Washington Post, who agreed with Upton’s assessment, calling the trumpeter ‘superb.? The newspaper said Upton’s rendition of Haydn’s Concerto in E-flat ‘came sailing through with festive abandon.?
‘They were a good audience,? Upton added of the Grace Church crowd. ‘To impress a knowledgeable audience is a good feeling.?
This fall, Upton will head to Northwestern University, where he plans to study trumpet performance.
‘Northwestern’s trumpet studio is the place to go in the country,? he said of the department.
Through private instruction, and the Lake Orion music program (notably LOHS band director Michael Steele), Upton feels well prepared.