USM Trumpet Ensemble Advances to National Competition

The University of Southern Mississippi Advanced Trumpet Ensemble, along with Master of Music student Dayvison Costa, will compete in the Live Rounds at The National Trumpet Competition, to be held at The University of Kentucky next month.

Made up of six students from The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the Advanced Trumpet Ensemble will be competing against other university trumpet ensembles from some of the most prestigious music schools in the nation. 

Costa, a member of the Advanced Trumpet Ensemble and graduate assistant for the Southern Miss Trumpet Studio, will also be competing as a soloist in the Graduate Solo Division.

“This ensemble has been working together since the beginning of the fall semester.  After a great deal of preparation of Anthony Plog's Suite for Six Trumpets, we held a video recording session in Marsh Auditorium in mid-December to record our application submission,” said Timothy Tesh, assistant professor of trumpet at USM and the ensemble's musical director.  

Tesh notes that the ensemble received notification in late January of its selection to compete in the national competition – USM's first entry since 2015.

Ensemble members include:

• Dayvison Costa, from Limeira, Brazil, a first-year, Master of Music, Graduate Assistant for Trumpet Studio

• Erin Beard, from Port Angeles, Wash., a first-year, Master of Music, Graduate Assistant for Jazz Studies

• Chase Mitchell, from Lucedale, Miss., a junior majoring in Music Education

• Johnathan Evans, from d'Iberville, Miss., a freshman majoring in Music Education
• Caleb Guilbeau, from Ellisville, Miss., a senior majoring in Music/Music Education (double major)

• Matthew Soderberg, from Salem, Va., a sophomore majoring in Music Education

To help ensemble members with travel expenses, a crowdfunding project has been created through the USM Foundation's Eagle Fever platform. To make a contribution, visit eaglefever.usm.edu.