Trumpet player to perform at Southeast trumpet spectacular

Allen Vizzutti, a world-renowned trumpet player, has been invited to perform at Southeast Missouri State University as a guest player during the second half of the Trumpet Spectacular show.

Vizzutti learned to play the trumpet from his father at an early age. He was playing for the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at 16 and later attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N. Y. He became famous for his musical technique and performances in the movie soundtracks for "Back to the Future," "Rocky II" and "Star Trek."

Thirty-five orchestra players will perform Surprise Symphony by Haydn and Sabre Dance, from composer Aram Khachaturian, in the first half of the show.

In the second half they will finish with Haydn and the Carnival of Venice with Vizzutti.

"We have been working on the music for a while, but with other projects and spring break coming up we will have a little bit of short preparation time," orchestra director Sara Edgerton said.

It's not unusual for the symphony to feature a guest performer. In the past it has performed with British pianist Jack Gibbons and violinist Mark O'Connor.

"My favorite part of playing with a guest performer is just that," said Ethan Trimble, the principal French horn player. "It's one thing to watch a professional musician perform, but it's a totally different experience to be on the same stage performing a concert with them."

Performing with a guest player isn't always easy.

The players practice for months without the guest player's part, which makes it difficult for both the orchestra and the performer to change the music before the show.

"A guest player might have a certain idea of how they want a piece to sound, and we don't know what their plans are until we rehearse with them," Trimble said.

The orchestra used back-up pieces of the melody during practice as a general idea of where the guest performer's part would be.

"No one plays his part during practice because it is usually more than ridiculous," trumpet player Cody Jinkerson said. "It's one of the hardest pieces out there."

Vizzutti will arrive in Cape Girardeau on the evening of March 24 and rehearse his part with the orchestra on the 25 and 26.

The show will take place on March 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall. Tickets are being sold at the River Campus box office for $19. Student tickets are half price.