Generally on the matter of repertoire for these competitions, may I remind all concerned who chose it, that a successful trumpet soloist will play principally the works of J.S. Bach (plus lesser baroque composers); the Haydn and Hummel trumpet concertos; some mainstream contemporary concertos and solos, drawn usually from his or her national school of composers. With this in mind it should not be too difficult to find a good balance of works to offer candidates at these events.
Lastly, on the question posed as to whether trumpet competitions are still valid in the 80's, I would say "yes they are". They provide one of the few meeting places for young people to talk, exchange ideas, and assimilate different styles and approaches to the solo trumpet literature. As long as they remain truly international, they must have a beneficial effect. But, the organisers do need to overhaul some of their ideas and procedures.
As epilogue to these overlong musings, may I say that whatever the "official" outcome of Geneva '81 was, I am sure that I heard at least half a dozen players, from various schools, who are certain to set their mark upon the world of the trumpet in one way or another.
Philip Jones (London, January 1982)