Ansel Norris (16), a trumpet alumnus of the Bienen School of Music, won fifth prize in the brass division of the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition and was the highest ranked trumpet musician in the competition. Bienen School trombone alumni Kelton Koch (14) and Nick Platoff (14) also advanced among the 48 performers invited to the inaugural brass competition.
The International Tchaikovsky Competition, held every four years since 1958, is open to young musicians from around the world. The 2019 edition marked the arrival of two new instrument families – woodwinds and brass – joining piano, violin, cello, and voice. A total of 228 performers across all instruments representing 38 nationalities were selected to compete in the 2019 event in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Ansel Norris
In his final round performance, Norris performed Lensky's Aria from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Rodion Shchedrin’s Concerto for trumpet and orchestra.