Concert features Lynnwood trumpet player

Lynnwood trumpet player George Steward is having a career-high year.

During the current concert season Steward will play the three most-often-performed trumpet concertos: the Haydn, the Hummel and, on Saturday evening with the Everett Philharmonic Orchestra, the Arutunian.

If you don’t know the concerto by its composer’s name, you probably would recognize its virtuosic bravura if you heard it.

“The concerto appeals to audiences as a showpiece. It really shows all sides of the trumpet,” said Steward, who first played the Arutunian while he was in college. “For trumpet players it translates into a lot of rapid tonguing. It’s a challenge but a lot of fun.”

The concerto was made popular by the Russian trumpet player Timofei Dokschitzer not long after the Armenian composer completed the work in 1950. It is Dokschitzer’s cadenza that is published with the concerto, which is typically played in one long movement with five parts.

“Playing the Arutunian, the Haydn and the Hummel in one season is the epitome of a great year for me,” Steward said. “Some fine trumpet players just like playing their parts in an orchestra or band. I really enjoy the solo experiences, especially when I can connect with the audience.”

Steward, 57, has re-emerged as a top trumpet player during the past dozen-plus years.

The Yale graduate is the principal trumpet not only for Everett Philharmonic, but also for the Edmonds-based Cascade Symphony Orchestra and the Lynnwood-based Octava Chamber Orchestra. He also plays with the Bellevue-based Lake Washington Symphony, the Brass Reflections quintet, SalsaRosa Latin Orchestra and the Evergreen Brass Quintet. He has performed with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Tacoma Symphony, Yakima Symphony and other groups around the state. And he has been a featured soloist with many more.

After graduating from high school in Medford, Oregon, Steward earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Wheaton College in Chicago and then went on to earn his master’s in trumpet performance at Yale University.

After graduating, Steward applied for college teaching positions, but it soon became clear that he would have to earn a doctorate in order to land such a job.

Then life happened.

Steward and his wife Diane moved to the Seattle area and raised four busy kids. George held down a clerical job. And after staying at home with the children for awhile, Diane got back to her career.

At some point Steward began to realize that his lip was in lousy shape.

Yes, he was still playing his trumpet in church and for weddings and pick-up gigs. A few times he was even the bugler at Longacres and later at Emerald Downs horse track.

But it took the challenge of playing a recital at church with a classically trained singer that got his lip back in shape.

“After that I couldn’t just let it drop,” he said. “I had to keep practicing.”

By chance, the principal trumpet with the (former) Everett Symphony, whose parents go to the same Medford church as do Steward’s folks, found out that Steward might available to audition for the top seat.

He was and he did.

“That’s what really propelled me to get back into playing,” Steward said.

Philharmonic director Paul-Elliott Cobbs said Steward is among the most highly sought after musicians in the region.

“His fantastic musical artistry, as well as technique, are marvelous, Cobbs said. “George will lead off the season especially designed to such off the wealth of talent we have. Each concert of our season ‘Meet the EPO’ will feature members of the orchestra.”

Along with his paid and volunteer performance gigs, Steward does some school teaching and also teaches private lessons in his home studio. This year he will be one of the first in the country to teach the new Suzuki trumpet method.

On average, Steward is busy four or five nights a week with rehearsals or concerts.

“My favorite thing is playing all sorts of music — be it sacred, salsa, classical, jazz or new music.”

With Jameson Bratcher, he premiered “Three Inventions for Trumpet and Tuba” by Richard Vitzhum.

“I would like to perform more new music,” Steward said. “With a new piece, you can’t copy somebody else.”

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.

If you go

The 85-member Everett Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Paul-Elliott Cobbs, performs its sixth season premiere concert at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at Everett Civic Auditorium, 2415 Colby Ave. The concert features Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festival Overture,” Ottorino Respighi’s “Pines of Rome” and Alexander Arutunian’s trumpet concerto performed by George Steward. Cobbs offers his stage-side chat about the composers and the music at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. Cost is $25, or $20 for seniors, students and military. Season ticket information is available at www.everettphil.org.