Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Player Bios

Derek Reaban · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:48 am Post subject:

Joe Alessi

Photo by Sedge LeBlang (courtesy Metropolitan Opera Archives)

Joe Alessi was Principal Trumpet in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1946 to 1959.

September 2, 1915-December 24, 2004

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Alessi was born to Joseph Alessi and Josephine Interrante and grew up in Norwood, New Jersey.

At the age of eleven, he began studying trumpet with his father, who was a professor at the Manhattan School of Music and played trumpet in the NBC Symphony. He received a scholarship to the Juilliard School, where he studied with Max Schlossberg. After Schlossberg’s death, Joseph Alessi continued his studies with William Vacchiano and later with Harry Glantz. Mr. Alessi held a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music and an M.A. from the California State University at San Francisco. Honorably discharged in 1945 from the United States Navy after serving in World War II, Joe Alessi made his career in New York performing with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, the New York City Symphony and Opera under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1948-59 and the Goldman Band. Together, he and William Vacchiano designed the Alessi/Vacchiano and the Jo-Ral series of brass instrument mutes.

With his wife, Maria Leone Alessi, a former soprano at the Metropolian Opera he moved to Las Vegas in 1959 and performed at all the major hotels. Moving to San Franciso in 1961, he performed for a year with the San Francisco Symphony before embarking on a teaching career. He was a teacher at Aptos Junior High School, City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University and became a master trumpet teacher to a prolific number of professional musicians worldwide. An avid golfer and story-teller, Mr. Alessi had a great sense of humor and a wide circle of friends, colleagues and students with whom he stayed in touch.

Player bio taken from Slidearea.com, Joe Alessi’s web site (NY Phil Principal Trombone) from 2006
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

Derek Reaban · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:49 am Post subject:

Isadore Blank

Photo by Sedge LeBlang (courtesy Metropolitan Opera Archives)

Isadore Blank was Principal Trumpet in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1939 to 1972.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

wvtrumpet · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:55 am Post subject:

Derek Reaban · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:58 am Post subject:

Ralph · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 5:04 pm Post subject:

Good stuff! Fun to see all those pictures.

Hmmm...how long ago was that picture of Peter taken?

Peter Bond · Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 7:20 am Post subject:

Tal Katz · Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 9:12 am Post subject:

Lol... Gould pretty much looks the same now as in that picture

Derek Reaban · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:39 am Post subject:

Billy Ray Hunter

Principal Trumpet
Birthplace: Austin, Texas
Joined the Met: 2004
Education/Career Highlights: BM University of Texas, MM Juilliard School, New World Symphony. Teachers include, Raymond Crisara, Raymond Mase, and Mark Gould. Current member Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago, former member of the Baltimore Symphony, New World Symphony, Spoleto Orchestra, and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.

Player bio taken from the Metropolitan Opera website from 2009.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

Miketpt · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:04 pm Post subject:

Earlier in the year, Billy Ray received a distinguished alumni award from University of Texas which is why he missed out on the MET Brass recording.

http://www.texasexes.org/involved/oytex.asp

Mike

Derek Reaban · Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2014 12:17 pm Post subject:

Raymond Riccomini

Raymond Riccomini, trumpet, joined the Metropolitan Opera orchestra in 2004. Prior to this, Raymond frequently performed, toured and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, including as guest Principal trumpet. He has also held the positions of second trumpet in the New Jersey Symphony and Principal trumpet of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. Raymond was a founding member of the Manhattan Brass Quintet and was a winner in the 1993 Fischoff Chamber music competition. In 2006, Raymond performed as Principal trumpet in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 as part of Riverside Church’s 75th Anniversary celebration with members of the Detroit Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Neeme Jarvi.

Raymond received his BM from the Mannes College of Music and his MM from the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers include Vincent Penzarella, Eduard Treutel and Philip Smith. Raymond is currently on the faculty of The Mannes College of Music and serves as the Brass Department Chairman. He released his debut solo album, The Inner Voice, in 2010.

Player bio taken from the Met Orchestra Musicians website from 2014.
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Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe Winds / Symphony of the Southwest

bulos · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:26 pm Post subject: