Northwest invites young musicians to brass festival, learning with professionals

Northwest Missouri State University’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts is hosting its second annual Northwest Brass Festival for youth on Sunday, Nov. 17.

The Lantana Trio - comprised of Raquel Samayoa on trumpet, Stacie Mickens on horn and Natalie Mannix on trombone - will appear as guest artists at Northwest's second annual Brass Festival.

Stacy Lendt

Dr. William Richardson

Dr. William Sutton

The festival, which is free and open to the public, consists of masterclasses, performances, rehearsals and presentations for aspiring brass musicians to develop their skills and learn from professionals, including Northwest faculty Stacy Lendt, Dr. William Richardson and Dr. William Sutton.

The festival begins at 1 p.m. in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building with a welcome concert followed by an all-state help session for high school students. The festival also includes an opportunity for all participants to practice and play together as an ensemble.

Additionally, the Lantana Trio, a brass group comprised of faculty from the University of North Texas, will participate in a question-answer session and lead another session discussing practice techniques.

The day will conclude with a closing concert involving all participants of the festival.

The Lantana Trio is comprised of Raquel Samayoa on trumpet, Stacie Mickens on horn and Natalie Mannix on trombone. As advocates for diversity in the arts, the Lantana Trio’s most recent album, “Crossing Barriers,” features works by underrepresented composers and has received positive recognition, including the 2023 Global Music Award, Silver Medal Winner and a Special Judges’ Citation for Outstanding album of new music for brass trio in the Chamber Ensembles category of the 2024 American Prize. The group has presented recitals at events, including the 2022 International Trombone Festival, the 2022 and 2019 International Women’s Brass Conference, the 2021 National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference, and the 2020 Big XII Trombone Conference.

Lendt joined the Northwest faculty this fall as an adjunct horn professor. She has served as a freelance private horn teacher for 24 years in Kansas City, Missouri, and as a band director for schools in College Springs, Iowa; Maysville, Missouri; and Lawrence, Kansas. She has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Northwest and a master’s degree from the University of Kansas.

Richardson, a Northwest faculty member since 1999, conducts jazz ensembles and teaches applied trumpet, among other courses. He served as Northwest’s first Dennis C. Dau Endowed Professor of Music from 2018 to 2021 and was a visiting professor of trumpet as a Fulbright Scholar in 2010 at the Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia. He also is a longtime member of the St. Joseph Symphony Orchestra in addition to performing with the St. Joseph Big Band and The Phil Collins Experience.

Sutton joined the Northwest faculty in 2022 and performs on euphonium, tuba and trombone. With a doctorate in music performance as well as master’s degrees in music theory and music performance from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in music education and performance from State University of New York at Potsdam, he has performed with a variety of orchestras and brass ensembles in Michigan and New York, as well as in the Midwest. Last spring, he played with the Kansas City Symphony in several performances of “The Planets” by Gustav Holst.

The Northwest Brass Festival is free and open to the public. For more information, including a complete schedule of activities, and to register as a participant, visit c9sx.bongobaystudios.com/finearts/music/brass-day.htm.