Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Weston Sprott, Trombonist in Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Has CD 'Act I,' Is In Two Films



[Act I; Weston Sprott, Trombonist; WS Records (2010)]

The African American trombonist Weston Sprott, http://www.WestonSprott.com, released his first CD, Act I, in February on WS Records. It is a solo recording with a wide-ranging repertoire. The disc is available at CDBaby.com and the music can be downloaded at Amazon.com:

1. Sonatine: I 3:26
2. Sonatine: II 5:20
3. Sonatine: III 5:18
4. Manon Lescaut - "Tra Voi Belle" 1:22
5. Tosca - "Recondita Armonia" 3:03
6. La Boheme - "Che Gelida Manina" 4:44
7. Turandot - "Nessun Dorma" 3:06
8. L'Elisir d'Amore - "Una Furtiva Lagrima" 4:46
9. Romance 6:23
10. Manipulations 5:24
11. Concerto: I. Andante et Scherzo - Valse
12. Concerto: II. Nocturne 5:17
13. Concerto: III. Tambourin 3:53
14. Starlight - Waltz Caprice 5:08
15. Blue Bells of Scotland 6:32

Program Notes
“Weston Sprott was appointed to the position of second trombone of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in the spring of 2005. He began his musical training in his hometown of Spring, TX. Mr. Sprott attended Indiana University before completing his Bachelor of Music degree at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His primary teachers include Michael Warny (Houston Grand Opera and Ballet Orchestras), Carl Lenthe (former Principal Trombone, Bavarian State Opera and Bamberg Symphony) and Nitzan Haroz (Principal Trombone-Philadelphia Orchestra).

“While a student at Curtis, Mr. Sprott held the positions of Principal Trombone in the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra (Philadelphia) and the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. He was the founding member of the Texas Trombone Octet, a group that won the Emory Remington competition and was featured in concert at the International Trombone Festival in Helsinki, Finland.

“Mr. Sprott has worked under the baton of many of the world's great conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Andre Previn and numerous others. Mr. Sprott was recently featured in the documentary film 'A Wayfarer's Journey: Listening to Mahler' with actor Richard Dreyfuss and actress Kathleen Chalfant. He was also a performer in the film 'Rittenhouse Square' under the direction of Robert Downey, a documentary that played in major film festivals throughout the United States to critical acclaim. In September 2007, Mr. Sprott made his Carnegie Hall solo debut performing Lars Erik-Larsson's Concertino in Weill Recital Hall at the invitation of the Bulgarian Consulate.

“Other engagements have led to performances with gospel and jazz artists such as Branford Marsalis, Take 6 and Donnie McClurkin. Performances and interviews with Mr. Sprott have been seen and heard on PBS' Great Performances, NPR's Performance Today, and Sirius Satellite Radio.”
“He is currently on the faculty at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music and Juilliard's Music Advancement Program, and he previously served on the faculty of The New School University, a division of the Mannes School of Music in New York City.”





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