Last Stop, Carnegie Hall: New York Philharmonic Trumpeter William Vacchiano

Preface

xv Preface Few trumpet teachers influenced as many individual students professionally and personally as William Vacchiano, principal trumpet of the new York philharmonic (1935–1973).His contributions to the music world include hundreds of orchestral recordings, numerous method books, thousands of private students, and a lifetime of research on trumpet mouthpieces resulting in his own line of mouthpieces (made by stork Custom Mouthpieces). He was a pillar of strength in one of the world’s most prominent orchestras during its burgeoning years of prosperity, while simultaneously being the most sought-after trumpet pedagogue in new York City. His teaching career lasted more than seven decades, during which time he taught out of his home in Flushing, new York, and served on the faculties at The Juilliard school, Manhattan school of Music,Mannes College of Music,Queens College,north Carolina school of the arts, and Columbia teachers College. among his students are such famous musicians as philip smith, Miles Davis, Thomas stevens, Manny Laureano, Malcolm Mcnab, gerard schwarz, and Wynton Marsalis. While engaged at the philharmonic, Vacchiano performed under the baton of many legendary conductors like arturo toscanini, Bruno Walter, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Leopold stokowski, Leonard Bernstein, and george szell.The advent of broadcasts and recorded music created new outlets for these conductors to demonstrate their interpretation, as well as feature their orchestras with expansive literature.The exposure to these musical giants enhanced Vacchiano’s wisdom and understanding of music that he imparted to his students. His teaching style was simple xvi and direct, focusing on musicianship and the fundamentals of trumpet playing. Upon finishing studies with Vacchiano, each student possessed the tools necessary to function and excel in the demanding profession of music. Many of the methods Vacchiano used in his teaching and performing came from his teachers, but he also employed some new techniques that previously had only been experimental. in Vacchiano’s orchestral performance he was one of the first principal trumpet players to use a variety of specialty trumpets in various keys, with the D trumpet eventually becoming his instrument of choice—especially for Mahler’s symphonies . Vacchiano was also the first trumpet teacher to go to considerable lengths in finding the right mouthpiece for each student. His knowledge , understanding, and expertise in this arena were unparalleled. Mouthpiece selection was a fundamental aspect of Vacchiano’s teaching because he believed that if a student did not have the right mouthpiece he would never succeed, regardless of his dedication or talent. The passion Vacchiano possessed for music was clearly evident in his performing and teaching. Listening to his recordings and talking to his students quickly reveals his dedication to music and personal connection with each student. The list of Vacchiano’s students reads like a “Who’s Who” among trumpet players. exploring the reasons these individuals succeeded is paramount to understanding what is necessary for today’s students to be successful as teachers and performers. ...