The principal trumpet player for Oregon's Portland Opera played a solo for the Carson City Symphony at the Community Center on Sunday afternoon. It was the third and final concert in a weekend series called "Ivory and Brass."
Jay Chen, originally from China, is also the trumpet instructor and director of brass ensembles at Oregon State and Willamette universities and principal trumpet for the Salem Chamber Orchestra. He has performed extensively in the United State and China, but this was his first performance in Nevada.
"Nevada has been tremendous," he said. "I meet so many wonderful people."
He played a Bach B-flat trumpet during Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra by Alexander Arutunian.
He described the piece as having a jazzy, dance-type introduction, mute in the middle with a "very demanding" cadenza at the end.
Chen said it's wonderful to communicate musically with an orchestra. He also likes to encourage young musicians.
"Hopefully, we will inspire them to say, 'I want to practice more,'" he said.
He was impressed by French horn player Jon Holloway, a Carson High School junior; and Carson High senior Christina Quigley, a trumpet player. Christina heard him practicing and asked about the music, he said.
"So I just gave her the music, and she was so excited," he said. "That's great. That's what it's all about - for the younger players to be inspired."
One who performed Sunday was Andrew Chicvara. At 15, he was the only tuba player in the symphony.
"I'm used to playing with a whole section of three or four tubas," he said. "This really helps my individual playing."
The Carson City Symphony also played "Courage" by California composer Adrienne Albert, Symphony No. 3 by Johannes Brahms and "Suite Pastorale" by Emmanuel Chabrier.
"This kind of thing really enriches the community," said Gardnerville's James Brown, a season ticket holder. "It's really good to see all the kids here. They have a hard time sitting still, but at the intermission, they get to be kids again."
Before the concert, the acoustic group Gairin entertained in the lobby.
"'Gairin' is the Irish word for a little laugh, like a chuckle," said Mary Kay Aufrance, who plays accordion and sings for the group.
"We play Celtic music -Scotch, Irish, Welsh," said guitar player Tom Aufrance, her husband.
Katy Trimberger and Molly Walt of the Jaycees service club sold concessions. They'll split the money they make with the symphony.
The Jaycees use their part to fund their Easter egg hunt and the spring spaghetti feed they present with Kiwanis.
Chen, who comes from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, said he has enjoyed his stay in Carson City.
"My hosts (symphony director David Bugli and his wife, violin player and symphony association president Elinor Bugli) have been very gracious," he said.
The symphony was founded in 1984 as the Carson City Chamber Orchestra. The all-volunteer groups plays about five concerts each year.
The Ivory and Brass series was funded in part by grants from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information, go to ccsymphony.com or call 883-1976 or 883-4154.
Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.
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