UNT is home to one of the most prestigious euphonium studios in the world. Student success has been relentless for more than two decades and since our last news post in 2019, the trend has continued with just some of the achievements of our euphonium students highlighted here.
Chris McGinty, won a euphonium position with the United States Air Force Band in 2019, Brandon Hawkins won a euphonium position with the United States Navy Fleet Band in 2020 and Tyler Wise also won a euphonium position with the United States Navy Fleet Band in 2021.
During 2020, Boonyarit Kittaweepitak was appointed Professor of Euphonium at the Mahidol University in Thailand, Thomas Gusewelle was appointed Director of Media and Digital Strategy at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, and Blake Birmingham was appointed Adjunct Professor of Low Brass at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma.
During the past three years the euphonium studio has experienced unprecedented success in the UNT Concerto Competition. In 2019, Brandon Hawkins and Grant Jameson progressed to the final; Grant Jameson won. In 2020, Max Dobson and Greg Stevens reached the final; Greg Stevens won. In 2021 Justin Weis and Tommy Vo progressed to the final, with Ada Brooks selected as an alternate finalist, before Tommy Vo became the studio’s third winner in three years and earlier this year performed the finale from the Joseph Horovitz Euphonium Concerto with the UNT Concert Orchestra.
UNT euphonium players have also experienced competition success nationally and internationally. Awards and prizes have been won at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference (2019), Singapore Brass Festival (2019), Ronald Sachs International Music Competition (2020), Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival (2020 and 2021), Stars and Shipes Mock Band Audition (2021), Vancouver Women's Society of Music competition (2021), and the New Zealand International Brass Festival (2021). In addition, Melissa Ewing won the International Women's Brass Conference solo competition in 2019, and Brandon Hawkins won the US Army Band "Pershing's Own" Tuba-Euphonium Workshop competition in the same year.
2020 saw Greg Stevens receive the prestigious Douglas & Jane Goodrich Award from the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival, Max Swisher became one of the three "Great Grads" awarded by UNT in Spring 2020 and, in 2021, Grant Jameson won the Best Soloist prize at the Kapitol Cory Online Brass Band Championships. In addition, six students also won contracts with the Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Knights, Boston Crusaders, Bluecoats and the Colts.
Outside the competitive arena, significant student performances have included Brandon Hawkins’ guest soloist appearance with the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Gala Concert in 2019 and Supernova Quartet’s performance at the 100th anniversary of the Texas Music Educators Association in 2020. During the same year, Jamie Lipton and Boonyarit Kittaweepitak made guest artist appearances at the North Texas Low Brass Camp, and Thomas Gusewelle collaborated with Dallas Symphony's Bradley Welch as part of the 'Preston Hollow Sessions'.
In 2021 Euphonium Camerata (pictured here) performed recitals at the Dallas Museum of Art and the International Tuba Euphonium Conference, Tommy Vo gave a recital and masterclass at Lethbridge University, and several students performed concerts in the euphonium section of Dallas Winds, the Lone Star Wind Orchestra and the Dallas Brass Band.