Crane School of Music Hosts New York Philharmonic Principal Trombonist Joseph Alessi for Residency

SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music Welcomes Guest Artist-in-Residence, Joseph Alessi, from Oct. 19 to 21

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New York Philharmonic Principal Trombone Joseph Alessi will be a guest artist-in-residence at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music this week.

POTSDAM, NY (10/17/2016)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music is proud to welcome Joseph Alessi, the principal trombonist for the New York Philharmonic, as a guest artist-in-residence this week.

Alessi will be on campus to work with Crane ensembles, lead a masterclass and perform as a soloist in a consortium premiere, from Wednesday, Oct. 19 to Friday, Oct. 21.

During his visit, Alessi will attend open rehearsals with the Crane Wind Ensemble and will coach the Frackenpohl Honors Brass Quintet, as well as leading two masterclasses-one in orchestral winds coaching and the other in trombone.

Alessi's visit will culminate in a performance during the Crane Wind Ensemble concert on Friday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m., in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall. Alessi will perform as the soloist in the consortium premiere of Steven Bryant's "Trombone Concerto," a new work that has only been performed twice previously.

In addition to the concerto, the Crane Wind Ensemble will also present David Biedenbender's "Schism," Andrew Boss's "À La Machaut" and David Maslanka's "Symphony No. 4."

This concert is free, and the public is invited to attend. Following the performance, there will be a special post-concert reception with the ensemble and soloist, in the Hosmer lobby.

This concert will be broadcast live on the SUNY Potsdam website at the performance time. To view the program and see other upcoming streaming performances, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/Crane/streaming.

About the guest artist:

Joseph Alessi was appointed principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic, holding the Gurnee F. and Marjorie L. Hart Chair, in 1985. In 2002, Alessi was awarded an International Trombone Association Award for his contributions to the world of trombone music and performance. He began musical studies with his father, Joseph Alessi, Sr., as a high school student in San Rafael, Calif., and was a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony before continuing his musical training at the Curtis Institute of Music. Before joining the New York Philharmonic, Alessi was second trombone of the Philadelphia Orchestra for four seasons, and principal trombone of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra for one season.

He has performed as guest principal trombonist with the London Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, led by Pierre Boulez. Alessi is an active soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. In 1990 he made his New York Philharmonic solo debut, performing Creston's "Fantasy for Trombone," and in 1992 premiered Christopher Rouse's Pulitzer Prize–winning "Trombone Concerto," which the philharmonic commissioned for its 150th anniversary celebration. He performed the world premiere of Melinda Wagner's "Trombone Concerto" in 2007. In 2013, he appeared as a soloist with the philharmonic in Bramwell Tovey's "The Lincoln Tunnel Cabaret for Trombone and Orchestra," written for Alessi, at Summertime Classics and at Bravo! Vail, with both performances conducted by the composer. In June 2016, he gave the world premiere of William Bolcom's "Trombone Concerto," a philharmonic co-commission, conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert.

Alessi has been a guest soloist with the Lincoln, Colorado, Syracuse, Virginia, Alabama, Santa Barbara, Puerto Rico, Hartford and South Dakota symphony orchestras; the New Japan, Seoul, Hague and Helsinki philharmonic orchestras; the National Repertory Orchestra; the Orchestra of Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Sicily; the Mannheim National Theater Orchestra, and the National Symphony of Taiwan. Alessi has also participated in numerous festivals, including the Festivale Musica di Camera in Protogruaro, Italy, Cabrillo Music Festival, Swiss Brass Week and Lieksa Brass Week in Finland. He was featured in the 1997 International Trombone Festival in Feldkirch, Austria, and the International Meeting of Brass Instruments in Lille, France. He has performed as soloist with several leading concert bands, including the U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point, the U.S. Army Band ("Pershing's Own") and the U.S. Marine Band ("The President's Own").

Alessi is a founding member of the Summit Brass ensemble at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute in Tempe, Ariz. Alessi is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School. As a clinician for the Edwards Instrument Co., he has also given masterclasses throughout the world and has toured Europe extensively as a master teacher and recitalist.

Alessi's discography includes many releases on the Summit record label, including "Trombonastics" and "Fandango," with retired New York Philharmonic Principal Trumpet Philip Smith. He also recorded "New York Legends" on the Cala label, "Return to Sorrento" on the Naxos record label and conductor/composer Bramwell Tovey's "Urban Cabaret." His live recording with the philharmonic of Rouse's "Trombone Concerto" can be heard on Volume II of "An American Celebration," on New York Philharmonic Special Editions, the orchestra's own recording label. Alessi was invited by the International Trombone Association to record a solo album of newly composed works, which was distributed to the association's membership of 5,000 trombonists in 1999, and is now available as "Beyond the End of the Century" through Summit Records. His recording of George Crumb's "Starchild" on the Bridge record label, featuring Alessi as soloist, won a Grammy Award for 1999–2000. Other recordings featuring Alessi are with the Canadian Brass (Sony Classical and Philips Records).

For more information about SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, please visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution.

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