Two brass musicians native to Central New York who reconnected as professionals at a music festival on the other side of the globe will display their virtuosity in a free, public duet recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in SUNY Oswego's Sheldon Hall ballroom.
Mark Kellogg, principal trombone player of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and trombone professor at University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music, will join David Bamonte, assistant principal trumpet in the Oregon Symphony and trumpet faculty member at Portland State University. They will offer works of Johannes Brahms, Eric Ewazen and Boris Blacher, among others.
Priscilla Yuen, staff pianist at the Eastman School, will accompany the duo; Trevor Jorgensen of SUNY Oswego's music department will host.
The evening's repertoire will feature Blacher's "Divertimento for Trumpet, Trombone and Piano," J.E. Barat's "Andante and Allegro for Trombone and Piano," Brahms' "Two Vocal Duets" in an arrangement by Verne Reynolds, "Soaring Trumpet and Piano" by Sean O'Loughlin and Ewazen's "An Elizabethan Songbook."
Originally from Hannibal, Kellogg co-directs the Eastman Trombone Choir. Active as a jazz and chamber musician, he was a founding member of the brass and percussion ensemble Rhythm & Brass, touring the United States and Japan and recording four CDs during his two years in the group. He has performed with Clark Terry, Chris Vadala, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Daniels and Mel Tormé. Kellogg initiated Eastman's annual Summer Trombone Institute, a weeklong workshop for high school and college trombonists.
Kellogg said performances at a distant venue led to the duet recitals with his fellow brass player and music educator, Bamonte.
"Dave is originally from Syracuse and we have known each other for over 30 years," said Kellogg, who is scheduled to work during the residency with SUNY Oswego and Oswego High School students. "Last summer we did a few recitals at a festival in Taiwan and decided we wanted to continue our collaboration."
Bamonte has made recordings with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras and features prominently in Zubin Mehta's acclaimed Israel Philharmonic recording of Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony. He has taught and coached throughout Oregon. He serves on the faculty of Portland State University and the annual Brass @ Wallowa Lake camp.
Parking for this event is available in the employee and commuter lots adjacent to and across Washington Boulevard from Sheldon Hall.