Judges ~ 2011 Hellam Competition
Prof. Michael A. Murray
Dr. Hye-Jung Hong
Dr. Grant S. Peters
Professor Michael Murray
Principal Cello, Springfield Symphony Orchestra; Professor of Cello, Missouri State University.
Professor Michael Murray enjoys a varied career as a performer-scholar, dividing his activity between teaching cello and music history at Missouri State University. He regularly appears throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist and participant in chamber and orchestral settings. The Arizona Daily Star praises "the glowing cello of Michael Murray" with music making at once "phenomenal" and "featuring tightly focused passion and confident projection." The Kansas City Star refers to Murray's playing as "stylish" with "a veloute sauce richness." Rome's Corriere della Sera comments that Murray "not only demonstrated mastery or his instrument, but also drew beautiful, limpid sounds and elegant phrasing." He is a National Endowment of the Arts fellowship recipient for post-doctoral research at Harvard University. Murray's Artist/Scholar Residency in Rome's American Academy led to research in music for cello by Italian composers of the 1930s.
Dr. Grant S. Peters
Trumpet, Springfield Symphony Orchestra; Professor of Music (Trumpet), Missouri State University.
Grant S. Peters is Professor of Music at Missouri State University, where he teaches applied studio trumpet and serves as the Brass Area Coordinator. He serves on the Board of Directors of the International Trumpet Guild.
Prior to his appointment at Missouri State, he served as co-principal trumpet of the Orquesta del Principado de Asturias in the northern Spanish province of Asturias (1992). During the 1989 season, he was a member of the Columbia Artists Management ensemble Dallas Brass, touring throughout 26 states and Canada. While with the Dallas Brass, he recorded the album A Merry Christmas with Brass for the Word Label. He has performed in solo and chamber settings in Canada, Spain, Poland, England, Sweden, Thailand, Russia, Australia, and the Czech Republic.
His primary research focus is promoting and performing new works for the trumpet by American composers. Peters has performed the World Premieres of Richard Faith's Evocations (2005) for trumpet and piano; Michael Murray's What is it For? (2003) for trumpet and organ; Kenton Bales' From the Hills (1999) for trumpet and wind ensemble; Robert Frank's Liturgical Impressions (1986) for trumpet and organ; and the European Premiere of John Prescott's Toccata and Fugues (1999) for two trumpet and organ in 2002. A solo album entitled Friendly Amendments, consisting of previously unrecorded works for trumpet and organ by American composers, was released in Spring 2004. A second recording in 2006, From the Hills, features new American works for solo trumpet with piano and chamber ensembles. In December of 2009 he produced and performed with the Missouri Chamber Players on Rhapsody, a recording of chamber music by American composer Richard Faith for the MSR Classics label.
Peters holds the Bachelor of Music in Education degree from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Texas. His principal teachers include Dennis Schneider and Leonard Candelaria. He is an Artist/Clinician for Edwards Trumpets.