Traditions

Part 1

Maurice André

Biography

From the mine to the Conservatoire: Maurice André recalls his early years—revealing the chance, discipline, and destiny behind one of the greatest trumpet careers.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Part 1

Articulation or bowing on the trumpet

Trumpet articulation becomes a precise study of attack, sustain, release and legato, linking tongue, breath, lips and sound in Dokshitser’s method.

By Timofey Dokschidser

Part 2

Articulation or bowing on the trumpet

Trumpet articulation becomes a full performing language, from détaché and staccato to legato, glissando, dynamics and score interpretation.

By Timofey Dokschidser

Part 2

Maurice André

Biography

From circus gigs to Bach with Karajan: Maurice André reveals how relentless work, discipline, and daily technical refinement shaped one of the greatest trumpet careers.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Georgiy Antonovich Orvid

Portrait of a distinguished Soviet trumpeter

A Soviet trumpet virtuoso who shaped generations of musicians, Georgiy Orvid combined an international concert career with teaching, research and cultural leadership.

By Yuri Usov

Emory Brace Remington

A Profile

“The trombone must sing.” Ralph Sauer profiles Emory Remington—legendary teacher whose vocal approach shaped generations and redefined brass pedagogy.

By Ralf Sauer

Part 1

The Trumpet in the USA

Across competitions, teaching and equipment in the U.S., trumpet practice exposes clashing ideas of musicality, raising the question of shared standards beyond national styles

By Thomas Stevens

Part 1

My contacts with the United States

From a simple request to an unexpected invitation: this account dives into Indiana University—between dazzling technique and the search for true musicality.

By Michael Höltzel

Clément Perrin (1876-1970)

He lived at the turn of the 20th century...

An extraordinary brass life links Belle Époque Algiers, two world wars and Saint-Saëns, with Clément Perrin still performing as solo trumpet at 81.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Vitaly Bujanowsky

The world's Golden Horn

Called one of the Soviet school’s finest performers by Shostakovich, Vitaliy Buyanovskiy shaped horn playing through performance, teaching and composition.

By Anatoly Barantsev

Professor Timofey Dokshitser

Trumpet Virtuoso and Artist from Moscow

In 1983 Moscow, Timofey Dokshitser weighs virtuosity against musicianship, opening a window onto Soviet trumpet training, orchestral life and artistic discipline.

By Marcel Hollenstein

An American trumpet player's impressions of european brass performances

An American trumpet player reflects on European brass traditions, comparing education, amateur practice and professional performance across both continents.

By Harold E. Krueger

Vassily Gueorguievitch Brandt (1869–1923)

Biography

Sélianine traces Brandt’s life and artistry, from Bolshoi virtuoso to influential pedagogue, revealing the foundations of a distinctly Russian trumpet tradition.

By Anatoly Selianin

Guy Touvron

Spotlight

Before international fame, Guy Touvron’s path ran through village bands, Maurice André’s class, competitions and a stubborn refusal to behave like a star.

By Jean-Pierre Mathez

Part 2

My contacts with the United States

About horns and how to play them

Double horn, descant, natural horn — which path? This article explores American vs German approaches and what it means to train a complete horn player.

By Michael Höltzel

Henri Renart (1887-1979)

Interview

Henri Renart looks back on a remarkable musical life, from the wind bands of northern France to Paris’s leading orchestras, performing under renowned conductors while witnessing decades of change in performance, recording, teaching, and brass playing.

By Robert Coutet

Viktor Venglowski

Musician and Teacher

From the Leningrad Philharmonic to the Conservatoire, one trombonist shaped repertoire, ensembles and generations of players across the Soviet Union.

By Sergej Gorovoj

The Horn in France

Historical overview of the horn in France by Daniel Bourgue, covering instruments, makers, pedagogy and the evolution of tone and playing style.

By Daniel Bourgue

Tell it the way it is:

A viewpoint of professional trumpet playing in the United States

A brutal reality check: Irving Bush exposes the gap between musical dreams and professional truth—revealing the harsh economics behind a career in trumpet playing.

By Irving Bush

Russian music and musicians before 1700

with special regard to Brass Music

Overview of Russian music and musicians before 1700, exploring early traditions, influences and the role of brass instruments.

By Walter Salmen

The Annual Competitions of the Paris Conservatoire

From commissioned works to jury voting, a long-standing examination tradition reveals how brass players progressed through the Paris Conservatoire.

By Benny Sluchin

Pyotr Naumovich Volkov (1877-1933)

First trombone professor at St. Petersburg Conservatory

From imperial St. Petersburg to Soviet Leningrad, Volkov shaped a distinctive Russian trombone tradition through performance, teaching and generations of pupils.

By Viktor Sumerkin

Vladislav Mykhaylovich Blazhevich (1881-1942)

Trombonist, Composer and Teacher

From village band to the Moscow Conservatoire and the Bolshoi, a lifelong commitment to performance, teaching and wind music shaped Soviet trombone tradition.

By Viktor Sumerkin

Akim Alexeyevich Kozlov

A Trombone Artist

Behind decades of orchestral excellence, one trombonist shaped a school of playing whose influence reached far beyond Leningrad and the concert hall.

By Anatoly Barantsev