ITG Recognizes 2020 Wind Band Finalists

ITG would like to recognize the three finalists of the 2020 ITG Wind Band Excerpts Competition.

The cancellation of the 2020 International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Conference in Columbus, Ohio also meant the cancellation of the many competitions that take place at the annual conference.

ITG recognizes the hard work and dedication of these wonderful young women and men. In an effort to honor our talented young artists, ITG will be featuring each of the finalists on the ITG Website and in the October 2020 ITG Journal.

Finalists in the four major divisions (Solo, Jazz, Wind Band, Orchestral) will each be named Co-Finalists, receive a $500 cash prize, receive free admission (registration fee waived) to the 2021 competition, and be recognized in a special way by ITG in its publications.

Today's featured division is the Wind Band Division. The Wind Band Division prepares students for auditions for professional wind bands, with a special emphasis on the repertoire for military bands. The solo division is chaired by Amy McCabe, a member of the President's Own Marine Band.

Students from around the world submitted a recording of preliminary round excerpts, from which three finalists were selected.

Adjudicators for the preliminary round were:

Maj. Michelle Rakers,United States Marine Band, Retired

MSgt Michael Mergen, United States Marine Band

GySgt Robert Singer, United States Marine Band

 The three finalists were:

Ian Mertes, University of Colorado Boulder; Student of Ryan Gardner and Justin Bartells

Madison Sinan , Messiah College; Student of William Stowman

Joseph Tkach, Baylor University; Student of Wiff Rudd


Ian Mertes

Originally from Cushing, Oklahoma, Ian Mertes is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder under the guidance of Dr. Ryan Gardner and Justin Bartels. Mertes graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Oklahoma State University where he studied with Ryan Gardner. His experience includes playing with the Colorado Symphony and being named winner of the International Trumpet Guild’s 2018 Orchestral Excerpts Competition. Mertes was a member of the ensemble that won the National Trumpet Competition’s Large Trumpet Ensemble Division in 2016 and 2018. While at OSU, he was awarded the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award.


Madison Sinan

Madison Sinan is a junior music education major at Messiah College where she is a student of Dr. William Stowman. She has been principal trumpet in the wind ensemble, symphony orchestra, and brass choir, lead trumpet in the jazz ensemble, and student leader in The Grantham Brass Project, Messiah’s student brass quintet. While a student at Messiah, she has been part of numerous recording projects, has performed at the NJMEA Conference as well as the NAfME All-East Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is a three-time National Quarter-finalist at The National Trumpet Competition and has also competed in the ensemble and solo divisions of NTC. In February, 2020 she won the Keith Lance Kuhlman Performance Competition at Messiah College. Most recently she was named a Finalist for the International Trumpet Guild’s Wind Excerpt Competition.

Madison grew up playing trumpet in the Seneca Valley music program in Western Pennsylvania where she was a student of Robert Babick and Robert Matchett. She performed with the wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, and brass quintet. In addition to her school ensembles, she earned placements in PMEA Honors, District, Region, and All-State Bands. She also attended the Brevard Summer Music Festival in 2016 and 2017, where she studied with Neal Berntsen (Pittsburgh Symphony), Mark Schubert (Baylor University), Wesley Nance (Rochester Philharmonic), and Robert Sullivan (Cincinnati Symphony) and has had additional trumpet study with John Powlison, The United States Army Band, Washington, DC Pershing’s Own.

In addition to being a member of the College Honors Program, she is an active member of the Messiah College Chapter of the National Association for Music Education and president of the Messiah College Trumpet Association. After the completion of her undergraduate degree, Madison hopes to pursue the Master’s Degree in Trumpet Performance with the ultimate goal of winning a position in a premier service band.

 
Joey Tkach

Joey Tkach is a senior music performance major at Baylor University.  Joey attended the Interlochen Arts Camp as an Emerson and Orchestral Scholar.  While at Baylor, he has collaboratively won 1st prize in the large ensemble division of the National Trumpet Competition and twice in the small division, as well as 2nd prize in the undergraduate solo division.  In addition, Joey made his Carnegie Hall debut as a winner of both the solo and chamber divisions of the Semper Pro Musica Competition in 2018.  Joey is a two-time semi-finalist in the International Ima Hogg Concerto Competition and was named a finalist in the International Trumpet Guild’s Orchestral Excerpts Competition in 2018.  Additionally, he has been named a winner of the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition and the 1st prize winner of the Ictus International Trumpet Competition.  Joey is also an avid composer and has had his music performed across the country. 

 

 

 

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