Houston Symphony Player Bios

[Derek Reaban]

Mark Inouye



Mark J. Inouye is one of a very select group of trumpeters, equally at home in the worlds of classical and jazz music. After attending the University of California, at Davis for two years as a civil engineering major, Mr. Inouye transferred to the Juilliard School. He has played with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Kurt Masur, and the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He toured the United States in 1993-94 with Toccatas & Flourishes, the nationally acclaimed organ and trumpet duo. From 1995-96, Mr. Inouye toured in Europe, Asia, Canada, and the United States with the Empire Brass Quintet. He was co-principal trumpet with the New World Symphony from 1996-98, and then was principal trumpet with the Charleston Symphony in 1998-99. Since then, he has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony.
Mr. Inouye was a soloist in the San Francisco Symphony’s 2001 chamber music series premiering his own jazz composition, Find the Cheese in Davies Hall. It was the first jazz composition in the history of the chamber music series. He premiered another original composition, The Bull Behind the Horns, in 2004. He has also been a soloist with the New World Symphony on two occasions performing the Haydn Trumpet Concerto and the Tomasi Trumpet Concerto. He has appeared as a soloist in Wynton Marsalis’ video production, Marsalis On Music, which aired on BBC2 in Europe and on PBS in North America. He was a soloist with the Tanglewood Wind Ensemble led by Seiji Ozawa. He has also appeared as a soloist on the Disney Channel in a Celebration of the WHO at Carnegie Hall and has been heard as classical and jazz soloist on National Public Radio. He was a founding member of the Juilliard Jazz Sextet at Lincoln Center and was a guest performer at the Hollywood Bowl in the 1993 Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles.

Player bio taken from the San Francisco Symphony web site from 2005.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

John DeWitt



Principal Trumpet with the Houston Symphony, graduated from Northwestern University. From 1973 to 1982, he was the Co-Principal Trumpet for the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, and joined the Houston Symphony in 1982. Mr. DeWitt has given master classes at the Eastman School, Indiana University, Pacific Music Festival Sapporo, New England Conservatory and University of Houston. In addition, he performs regularly with the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, Da Camera of Houston and the Houston Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet.

Player bio taken from the International Festival-Institute at Round Top web site from 2005.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Charles Geyer



Trumpet lessons began at age five followed by participation in the highly esteemed Joliet, Illinois Band program from age seven through ten. Radio performances in Peoria, Illinois preceded his professional career at the age of 14. While attending Northwestern University he performed as Principal Trumpet with the Chicago Lyric Opera and joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra following his senior year at Northwestern. During his twelve years with the CSO he was Principal with the Grant Park Symphony Summer Orchestra. The Houston Symphony engaged him as Principal in 1978 where he performed for three seasons. He has been Trumpet Professor at the Eastman School of Music and a member of the Eastman Brass since 1980. A founding member of the Chicago Brass Quintet, Mr. Geyer also organized and performed in concerts with the Chicago Symphony Brass Ensemble.

Currently he performs as soloist with the DaCamera Society in Houston, Chicago's Music of the Baroque ensemble and as Co-Principal Trumpet in the summers with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in Jackson, Wyoming. As a solo artist, Mr. Geyer has performed with the Houston, Portland, Chicago, Lincoln, Jackson, and Rochester Orchestras. He is in demand as a recitalist and presents masterclasses regularly in this country as well as Italy, Spain, and Canada. Mr. Geyer has recorded with the Eastman Brass, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Symphony and Houston Symphony Orchestras, Contemporary Chamber Players of Chicago, and recently Music for Two Trumpets and Organ with Barbara Butler.

Player bio taken from the Eastman Brass web site from 2005.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Rolf Smedvig



He has performed as soloist with many orchestras, among them the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony, Cambridge Chamber Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and the NHK Orchestra of Japan, performing there under the direction of Seiji Ozawa. In 1995 Mr. Smedvig made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival. In 1997 he appeared on tour with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra and was a guest at the 41st Eastern Band Festival. He has been a frequent guest at festivals: at Tanglewood, Wolf Trap, Chautauqua, at the Bach Festival in Marlboro and the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico.

As a founding member and first trumpet of the Empire Brass Quintet, Mr. Smedvig has toured 35 countries in North and South America, Japan, Russia, Europe and Great Britain. The quintet is not only an acclaimed chamber group; it also performs with orchestras like the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra and the Boston Symphony. It is a frequent guest of nationally syndicated radio programs including St. Paul Sunday Morning and Traditions and has been televised on Good Morning America, the Today Show and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. In 1996 at the Pacific Music Festival he was named International Principal with members of the Berlin and Wein Philharmonic.

Mr. Smedvig has served as Music Director of the Williamsport Symphony and has also conducted the Cambridge Chamber Orchestra. Other recent conducting engagements include the Honolulu Symphony, Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Tohnhalle Orchestra of Zurich, and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Caracas, Venezuela. With the Venezuelans he has appeared numerous times and on tour. Mr Smedvig was instumental in bringing the entire orchestra to Tanglewood for instruction with Seiji Ozawa. Rolf Smedvig also conducted a full length CBS television broadcast from Boston's Government Center. During the 95,96, and 1997 concert season Smedvig was a frequent guest of the New World Symphony Orchestra where he served as conductor and soloist.

He was born in Seattle and made his debut as a soloist with the Seattle Symphony when he was 13. He studied at Boston University with such teachers as Armando Ghitalla, Raphael Mendez, and Maurice Andre. While studying at Tanglewood in 1971 he was invited by Leonard Bernstein to perform as soloist in the world premiere of the composer's Mass that marked the opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. At the age of nineteen he was appointed Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Boston Symphony by Seiji Ozawa, becoming the youngest member of the orchestra. Having served the orchestra in performance and recordings for eight years, in 1979 he was appointed Principal Trumpet and held that position until 1981 when he left to pursue a career as soloist and chamber music player.

Mr. Smedvig has served on the faculty of Boston University and the Tanglewood Music Center and he founded the Empire Brass Seminar at Tanglewood. Currently he holds the International chair at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and is a clinician for the Selmer Company. He is an accomplished arranger/composer, with hundreds of works recorded and published by the G. Schirmer , KRS Publishing and the International Music Company. In 1996 he was featured in the Warner Brother's Video the 21st century Band Method.

Player bio taken from the [url=http://www.musiciansgallery.com/start/brass/trumpets/smedvig(rolf).html]Musicians Gallery[/url] web site from 2005.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

James Austin



Education: Bachelor of Music with Distinction and a Performance Certificate, Eastman School of Music.

Personal: James Austin, a native Michigander, has been on the faculty of the Moores School of Music since 1960, first as an Affiliate Artist and then as Professor of Trumpet. He has also served on the faculties of the Houston Baptist University and the National Music Camp in Interlochen.

As a performer, James Austin has distinguished himself as principal trumpet of the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, Houston Chamber Orchestra, and the acclaimed Eastman Wind Ensemble. He helped found the faculty Symphonic Brass Quintet upon joining the UH School of Music in 1960 and performs regularly with that group during the year.

His students have an astounding record of achievement and success in the professional world. Recent graduates hold positions in the orchestras of Sao Paolo, Calgary, Vancouver, Tel Aviv, Madrid, Houston, San Antonio, and Louisville among others, and they are regularly contenders for positions with major orchestras throughout the world. Many of his students have become noted teachers in their own right in colleges and universities, high schools, and private studios -- a testament to the excellence of Austin's systematic and thorough tutelage.

Aside from his musical contributions, the University of Houston has benefitted from his willing service as a member of the School of Music Advisory, Curriculum, and Scholarship Committees, as well as numerous other University, College, and School Search Committees. In the community, Austin shares his musical expertise as Minister of Music at the Church of the Advent in Stafford, TX.


Player bio taken from the University of Houston Moores School of Music web site from 2005.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Fred Mills



Fred Mills was born in Guelph, Canada. While at the Juilliard School of Music studying with William Vacchiano, Mr. Mills was invited by Leopold Stokowski to join the Houston Symphony Orchestra as principal trumpet. He was also a founding member of the American Symphony Orchestra and for six years, principal trumpet with the New York City Opera. In 1968 Mr. Mills returned to Canada to play with the Orchestra of the National Ballet of Canada and was then appointed solo trumpet with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Mr. Mills has made recordings with Morton Gould, Robert Shaw, Igor Stravinsky and William Steinberg.

In 1972, Mr. Mills joined the Canadian Brass and for 24 years he played over 3500 concerts in Asia, Europe and the US. He has made over 40 CDs for RCA, Sony, Philips and BMG and has contributed more than 50 transcriptions and arrangements to the Canadian Brass repertoire.

Mr. Mills is Professor of Trumpet and Brass Chamber Music at the University of Georgia and continues to be active as a soloist and brass quintet clinician. A new CD was recently released called Mills and More with the RENN Brass Quintet of Germany featuring Fred as soloist and arranger.

Player bio taken from the ITG Conference 2000 web site
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Armando Ghitalla



Following his musical training at the Juilliard School, Ghitalla performed in the New York City Opera and Ballet and the Houston Symphony before settling in Boston, where he spent twenty-eight years in the Boston Symphony, fifteen as principal.

Ghitalla was one of the earliest American classical soloists to garner substantial recognition for his recordings. Throughout his career, he remained active as a recitalist and soloist, performing widely in the United States, Italy, and Japan. His recordings can be found on the Cambridge, Deutsche Grammophon, and Premier labels.

His distinguished career as a pedagogue included membership in the faculties of Boston University, the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, the New England Conservatory, the Tanglewood Insitute, and the University of Michigan. At the University of Michigan, Ghitalla received the Alumni Teaching Award and the Haugh Teaching Award. From the International Trumpet Guild, received an honorary award, and from Illinois Wesleyan University an honorary doctorate. Ghitalla was serving on the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music (Rice University, Houston) at the time of his death.

Ghitalla's impact as a performer and pedagogue is well reflected in the fact that his students populate university faculties, orchestras, and other performing ensembles throughout the United States and the world.

Player bio taken from the Windsongpress.com web site from 2005.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

[Derek Reaban]

Mark Hughes



Mark Hughes "knows how to spin out a long line with the eloquence of a gifted singer," says Derrick Henry of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Hughes developed his abilities while a student at Northwestern University where he studied with the late Vincent Cichowicz of the Chicago Symphony. While at NU, Hughes co-founded the much recorded Alice Millar Brass Ensemble along with his Houston Symphony section mate, Robert Walp. After graduation, he was selected to be in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago allowing him to be a scholarship student with Adolph Herseth, the legendary principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony.
Hughes then began touring with Richard Morris as the popular organ and trumpet duo, "Toccatas and Flourishes," performing in all 48 contiguous states and Canada. His appointment as Associate Principal Trumpet with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra followed, a position he held for 12 years. During his time with the ASO, he appeared as soloist with the orchestra on numerous occasions as well as performing on dozens of recordings, including several Grammy award winning recordings. These recordings have been on a variety of labels, including Duetsche Grammophon, Telarc, Sony Classics, Naxos, New World, Argo and Nonesuch. While in Atlanta, Hughes was also in demand as a studio musician, recording for such clients as: Delta Air Lines, CNN, TBS, TNT, the Cartoon Network, EWTN and CNN International. He also recorded for NPR Classics, performing works used during the 1996 Olympics.
Mark is now in his third season as principal trumpet of the Houston Symphony. His talents as trumpet soloist have been on display in Houston during a number of pops and community concerts in addition to his performance of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto under the baton of Carlos Miguel Prieto. In June 2007, Hughes participated in a recital at the International Trumpet Guild with Tom Rolfs, principal trumpet of the Boston Symphony. This past January, he began a recording project with Chris Martin, principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony, and Phil Smith, principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic. This season takes him to performances with the Boston and Chicago Symphonies as well as teaching at the Texas Music Festival.

Player bio taken from the Brevard Music Center website from 2009.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest