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FONT 2021

December 28, 2021

2021 in review

Twenty years ago, FONT Music began at the bar of Tonic, where Roy Campbell, Jr. and I conspired all those years ago. To spread the diversity of people playing the instrument, to engage in new ideas of what trumpet music is and can be, to honor great pioneers of the instrument in our community.

In the two decades since, our grassroots non-profit has created hundreds of meaningful social and musical experiences for the trumpet community and beyond, and we’ve celebrated ideas that are new, different, in and out, for every step of the way.

Since 2003, the Festival of New Trumpet Music has presented:  

  • over 600 trumpet players 
  • over 300 premiers of new pieces and ensembles 
  • over 40 commissions of new music  
  • reached over 100,000+ audience members

Today we celebrate these milestones, and we reaffirm our commitment to diversity and inclusion. In 2021, we reached gender parity, male and female artists were presented in equal numbers. This important development continues the festival’s dedication to the broadest possible view of what constitutes trumpet music. There is always more work to do, but this is a wonderful development for the field.

Our 2021 virtual shows were wonderful, with new groups formed and new music presented. Hermon Mehari, Balkan Paradise Orchestra, Axel Dörner, Milena Casado, Kalí Rodriguez-Peña, Gunhild Seim, Sarah Wilson, Richard Nant, Birgit Ulher, Verneri Pohjola, Audrey Powne, Suzan Veneman, Lukas Frei, Sheila Maurice-Grey, Lina Allemano, Emily Kuhn, D’DAT Indigenous Performance Productions feat. Delbert Anderson, Adam Cuthbert, Mao Sone, and Mary Elizabeth Bowden were among trumpeters who brought great new music to our events.

We awarded legendary Randy Brecker with our adulation.

Click here for the complete archive of all performances from 2021

Yazz Ahmed presented a live masterclass in partnership with Seattle JazzEd, El Paso Jazz Girls, the Louis Armstrong House Museum, WIJO (Women in Jazz Organization), and Jazz St. Louis Education.

All together FONT Music 2021 reached over 16,000 people and was viewed over 20,000 times for a total of 51,000 minutes!

And we continued the mission that began at the bar of Tonic, where Roy Campbell, Jr. and I conspired all those years ago. To share the diversity of people playing the instrument, to engage in new ways the idea of what trumpet music is and can be, to honor great pioneers of the instrument in our community.

The strength of our community is its diversity of artistic voices and the spaces in which they are presented. Together, we explore the common ground to be found in the juxtaposition of style and genre; culture and identity.

All I can say further is, BRING ON 2022!

Warmly,
Dave Douglas

Sculpture by Josh Landress of J. Landress Brass

June 4, 2021

Announcing Festival 2021

Festival Of New Trumpet Music 2021 announces Brass Without Borders, Sept 8-15, 2021

A Global Celebration Of The Extraordinary Diversity In Current Music For The Trumpet

For almost 20 years, the Festival Of New Trumpet Music has embraced innovation and the unheard. Led by Dave Douglas, this small festival defies stylistic categories and presents exciting music centered around the trumpet each year, in previous years at clubs and stages around New York City.

The pandemic-related all-digital version of 2020 was the occasion to be able to present trumpeters from all over the world for the first time. Now the format Brass Without Borders has become the theme of this year’s festival and once again brings together the worldwide trumpet community, at least virtually.

Festival of New Trumpet Music 2021 is particularly proud to support gender parity on the instrument and in the field. For the first time, male and female artists will be presented in equal numbers. This important development continues the festival’s dedication to the broadest possible view of what constitutes trumpet music, and who can make it. There is always more work to do, but this is a wonderful development for the field.

Randy Brecker (Photo: Ada Rovatti)

The annual Award of Recognition will be presented this year to trumpeter and composer Randy Brecker for his longtime contributions to the field.

Yazz Ahmed (Photo: John Jarrett)

Rounding out the exciting program is a workshop with British-Bahraini trumpet player Yazz Ahmed, which will be shared with Seattle JazzEd, El Paso Jazz Girls, Jazz St. Louis and other educational institutions from around the nation.

The final program will be announced on July 1st, 2021 and includes Axel Doerner (Germany), Verneri Pohjola (Finland), Suzan Veneman (Netherlands), Lukas Frei (Switzerland), Sheila Maurice-Grey (UK), Balkan Paradise Orchestra (Spain), Hermon Mehari (France/USA), Delbert Anderson and Indigenous Contemporary Arts Group (New Mexico), Lina Allemano (Canada), Mary Elizabeth Bowden (USA), Adam Cuthbert (USA), Emily Kuhn (USA) among others.

The entire 2020 festival is freely accessible in our archive at fontmusic.org – including a very special episode celebrating Baikida Carroll.