Trumpet soloist Jason Crafton featured with the New River Valley Symphony
The New River Valley Symphony, under the direction of James Glazebrook, will perform the second of three season concerts on Saturday, March 2 at 8 p.m. in Burruss Auditorium on the campus of Virginia Tech. The concert is presented by the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts and Cinema and the Department of Music.
Faculty member Jason Crafton will be featured as trumpet soloist performing the Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto by Armenian composer Alexander Arutiunian (1920-2012). This virtuosic piece draws on Eastern European harmonies to create rich musical textures. "Over the last 50 years, the Arutiunian concerto has become a mainstay of the trumpet repertoire," commented Crafton. "Audiences love the piece because of the lush orchestration and hummable melodies. As a trumpet player, I like the concerto because, while flashy and exciting, it is also a substantial work of very high quality." Other works on the program are Dvorak's Symphony No. 8 and Beethoven's Egmont Overture.
Crafton is assistant professor of trumpet at Virginia Tech, where he also directs the Department's jazz ensembles. He holds a doctorate in music from the University of North Texas and has appeared professionally with a wide variety of ensembles including the Roanoke Symphony, Opera Roanoke, Ashlawn Opera, Shenandoah Symphony, Des Moines Metropolitan Opera, Cheyenne Symphony, Wyoming Symphony, Mannheim Steamroller, Bigfork Summer Playhouse, Dallas Wind Symphony, and Dallas Opera.
The New River Valley Symphony Orchestra, a university-community orchestra, is open to students, faculty, and community residents by audition. The ensemble performs symphonic literature of the highest aesthetic value.
Tickets are $10 general, $8 senior, and $5 student, are are available at the Student Centers and Activities Ticket Office in Squires Student Center. To order tickets, call 540-231-5615, order online, or purchase at the ticket office. Tickets will also be sold at the door beginning on one hour prior to the performance.
Free parking is available around the Drillfield on weekends. Parking is also available in the Perry Street Lots and the Perry Street Parking Garage near Prices Fork Road. Find more parking information online or call 540-231-3200.
