Certificate Recital: Jack Isaac, Trombone

By Jack Isaac

Concerto for Alto Trombone (L. Mozart, 1756)
In the early 1960s, a classical trombone concerto by Georg Christoph
Wagenseil was discovered and recorded by conductor Nicolas Harnoncourt.
Until then, the world of classical music was completely unaware of the
existence of such concertos. Shortly after this, Leopold Mozart’s concerto was
discovered, but modern musicologists initially believed the work was written for
horn, due to its technical difficulty. It was not until we discovered a virtuoso
trombonist named Thomas Gschladt that scholars agreed that the work was
indeed written for trombone. Following his spectacular audition for a position in
Salzburg, Gschladt became a close friend of the Mozart family. Soon after,
Leopold Mozart wrote a serenade which included three movements of solo
trombone music. Gschladt was admired so much by Mozart that if he was not
available to play, then no other trombone could take his place. Those
movements were to be played on viola instead. Two more trombone concertos
were written in the 1750s by Michael Haydn and Johann Georg
Albrechtsberger. It is likely that all four concertos were written for Gschladt.

When I first heard of the classical alto trombone concertos, I was amazed that
the trombone had repertoire from the classical era. Despite the many different
sounds that trombones can make, it didn’t seem like a classical instrument.
However, the beautiful, light timbre and variety of articulation of the alto
trombone makes it a great fit to play this music. Upon hearing Mozart’s work, I
fell in love with it and learned alto trombone just so I could play it.

Vox Gabrieli (S. Šulek, 1973)
Stjepan Šulek was a Croatian conductor, violinist, and composer. Stylistically, his
work tends to fit into a neo-romantic genre, but one can hear hints of the
baroque era as well. His trombone sonata, Vox Gabrieli, spends most of its time
in a very Romantically expressive setting. The beautiful, singing tone of the
trombone allows it to perform well with the emotionally evocative nature of
Romantic music. After a short introduction, the piece briefly demonstrates the
baroque style of Giovanni Gabrieli. The contrapuntal style of Gabrieli can be
heard in the back and forth of the melodies of the trombone and piano parts.
This is interrupted and contrasted by the unison lines that interrupt and follow it.

An expressive slow section gives even more contrast between different
sections of the piece. The final section presents another quick change in
character when the piano starts a stormy buildup to the climax of the piece at
the very end.

I began learning the sonata at the end of my high school years, when a friend
introduced it to me. I immediately began listening to it and growing a
connection with it. The way the piano part interacts with the trombone part in
so many different ways is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally
rewarding. I would encourage you to listen for the intricate melodic subtleties
that Šulek gives us, especially the repeated passages.

Concerto for Bass Trombone (E. Ewazen)
Eric Ewazen was born in 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio. He describes his music as
Neo-Romantic. The first movement is a beautiful duet between the bass
trombone and piano parts, with melodies being traded back and forth
consistently throughout. The lines are melodic, yet articulate. The second
movement is thoughtful and reflective. It contains multiple quasi-recitative
sections for the soloist to achieve maximum expressivity. The third movement is
quite rhythmic, with rapidly changing meter and accented notes. It is the most
virtuosic movement and shows off the technical ability of the soloist, especially
to play in the very low range.

Ewazen is a leading writer of solo brass music. His influence extends well
beyond his bass trombone concerto to various sonatas and concertos for
trumpet, horn, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, and euphonium. Many of his
works have made their way into the standard repertoire of brass solo repertoire.

I was introduced to the piece by my friend and accompanist Kyrie, who took
composition lessons with Ewazen in high school. As soon as I bought the piece,
I began to discover its intricate melodic detail. To prepare for this piece, we had
the opportunity to play for Dr. Ewazen himself. An incredible experience in and
of itself, I found it particularly enriching how well he articulated his thoughts and
suggestions.

Round Midnight (Thelonious Monk, Arr. Slide Hampton)
Round Midnight is a jazz standard that was written in 1944 by Thelonious Monk.
It is perhaps his most famous and influential song, and is performed across
many different settings. Slide Hampton’s arrangement is a creative version
which transforms the character of the piece to fit within and show off the
abilities of the trombone quartet. The arrangement adds a dark introduction,
followed by soloistic passages in the bass trombone. The climax of the piece is
written in octaves in the top parts, which creates an intense, powerful sound. Of
all of the program today, Round Midnight has a particularly unique character

Achieved is the Glorious Work (Joseph Haydn, Arr. Donald Miller)
Achieved is the Glorious Work was originally written for chorus. It was the final
chorus of Haydn’s Oratorio “The creation.” Donald Miller’s trombone quartet
arrangement gives us another sample of the trombone’s ability to adapt to
music from the classical period. In this quartet, you will hear the melody trading
back and forth between all four parts. The contrapuntal texture allows us to hear
each player’s unique voice, while also showing how well they can blend
together. I hope you enjoy it!

Jack Isaac
Jack Isaac ’23 is a senior from Hillsville, Pennsylvania. He is a math major, and is
earning certificates in trombone performance and computer science. Jack is
very active in the musical life at Princeton, participating in numerous ensembles
across widely different genres. He also volunteers to teach music, both at home
and at Princeton. In his Junior and senior years, Jack was a finalist in the
Princeton University Orchestra concerto competition on tenor and bass
trombones. Outside of music, Jack is an active member of the esports club, and
is co-captain of the Super Smash Bros. section of the esports team. After
Princeton, Jack plans to attend Duquesne University to earn his Master’s degree
in trombone performance under the great Jim Nova.

Kyrie McIntosh
Kyrie McIntosh ‘23 is a senior from Washington Heights, New York City,
pursuing a degree in Mathematics and a certificate in Music Composition. From
kindergarten through high school, he studied piano with Genya Paley. During
this time, he won the Kaufman Center Concerto Competition twice and
performed at Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, and Steinway Hall, among others. At
Princeton, Kyrie studied with Margaret Kampmeier for his freshman and
sophomore year and began lessons with Francine Kay in his junior year. Kyrie is
a member of the Princeton University Orchestra and was a winner of the 2021
PUO Concerto Competition. He is also an avid composer; in high school, he
studied with Eric Ewazen at Juilliard Pre-College, and he has also attended the
Tanglewood Young Artist Program and the Yellow Barn Young Artist
Composition Program.

Akiko Hosaki
A native of Osaka, Japan, Dr. Akiko Hosaki is acclaimed for her sensitive playing,
and one of the most sought after collaborative pianist and vocal coach in the
New York – New Jersey area. She is currently an adjunct assistant professor and
the pianist coordinator of the University Accompanist Program at Westminster
Choir College of Rider University, and a staff member at the College of New
Jersey and Bard College. Dr. Hosaki was the assistant to Dalton Baldwin,
legendary collaborative pianist, at Académie internationale d’été de Nice since
2013 until his passing in 2019, and at Mozarteum Sommerakademie in 2017 and
2018. She has collaborated with opera companies, such as Castleton Festival,
New Jersey State Opera, Opera North, Opera New Jersey, Boheme Opera, and
Princeton Festival Opera. She also enjoys collaborating with instrumentalists,
and frequently performs in chamber music concerts and the keyboard/basso
continuo in orchestras. Dr. Hosaki holds degrees from Musashino Academia
Musicae in Japan, Westminster Choir College, and University of Minnesota. Her
future engagements include Voice Advantage Princeton Immersion during
Summer 2023.

Artha Abeysinghe
Artha has been playing trombone for nine years, and has performed in multiple
ensembles throughout his high school career, including New Jersey Region
and All-State. Currently at Princeton, Artha is in his first year, planning to major
in Computer Science, and considering certificates in Statistics & Machine
Learning, Italian, and Music Performance. Artha also performs with the
Princeton University Orchestra and plays with the trombone quartet in MPP 213:
Projects in Instrumental Performance under the coaching of Matt Melore.

Jupiter Ding
Jupiter is a junior concentrating in Astrophysical Sciences with a certificate in
Applications of Computing. Originally from State College, PA, his classical
music experience includes playing in the Three Rivers Young People’s
Orchestra, Princeton Camerata, and Princeton Sinfonia.

Wesley Sanders
Wesley Sanders ’26 is a tubist and bass trombonist from Vernon, New Jersey.
He is a member of the Princeton University Orchestra, Sinfonia, and Creative
Large Ensemble, as well as OPUS. He plans to major in Chemistry with a
certificate in Tuba Performance.

I’d like to take a moment to thank some people for making this performance
possible. First, thank you to Princeton’s music department, especially those who
run the program in performance and those who help with the logistics of Taplin
Auditorium.

Next, I’d like to thank my fellow performers. Thanks to Dr. Hosaki for your
generous use of time and for your musical sensitivity. Thanks to Kyrie McIntosh
for your extreme dedication, incredible talent, and for help interpreting the
music. To my trombone quartet, thanks for your time and talent. With your help,
I was able to both experience and share an incredible chamber work.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without my trombone teachers. Jim Weltman,
Ben Herrington, and Matt Melore have been not just teachers, but also musical
mentors to help me grow across all facets of music. I’m very thankful for the
opportunities you’ve introduced to me. I’d also like to mention my high school
band director Jason Zeh, who among other things, convinced me to start taking
trombone lessons.

Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned about music have come from
my peers. I want to acknowledge anyone who has listened to me play, or given
me advice, or who I’ve listened to, talked about music with, or anything else.
Thanks especially to Selena and Taylor who have supported my recital the most
directly.

Out of anyone that helped with my education, my parents deserve the most
thanks. They’ve supported me in so many ways, financially, academically, and
musically. I could not do any of this without their loving support. Everything I
can do I owe to them.

Lastly, thank you for attending my recital! The most important part of music is
sharing it with others. My work would be nothing without you to listen.

Thank you!