Fábio Brum is the winner of the first tribute to Juan García Marín
The trumpet player Fabio Brum won the first prize in the International Competition for Trumpet Juan García Marín. The competition took place in the Valencian town of Anna from July 22 to 25. The competition was arranged by the Cultural Association Juan García Marín, entity founded to spread the musical work and teaching of this Valencian trumpet player who passed away the last year.
The young player showed very proud for being the first in achieving the prize. With only 27 Fabio had played in several orchestras and groups in Brazil, Venezuela, EE.UU, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungry and Serbia. Among the different orchestras stands the Radio Televisión Española Orchestra, Orchester des Staatstheater Darmstad, Philharmonic Orchestra of Las Palmas, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, city of Granada Orchestra, Simón Bolivar del Tachira Orchestra and the The Brass Company Quintet. It is also important to emphasis that Fabio recently wan the Judge’s Prize and the Novara Award in the Ellsworth Smith Trumpet Competition in Boston.
Fabio Brum played in the competition with the “Mahler Titán” series of Stomvi. This is a Spanish brand of brass instruments in the Valencian Community. Since several years, Fabio is member and has the support of the staff of this prestigious Spanish brand.
The first competition Juan García Marín had the participation of a high level jury: Guy Touvron, Chen Guang, Vicente Roncero, Luis González, Andrés Simeó y Matthias Beck as president. This jury worked very hard during the three phases of the competition: eliminatory test, semifinals and finals. In the final the participants played as obligatory work the trumpet concerto and orchestra “Tromba Verso La Pace” of Vicente Roncero.
For pictures and the article about the Competition in german click here.
Fábio Brum's interview by Blai Garcia
Fabio Brum was born in December 1981 in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. He had his music studies in Brazil, USA (Louisville University) and Germany (Music Conservatory of Karlsruhe). In his artistic career stands up several trumpet prizes and a wide experience in orchestras and groups in different parts of the world.
Why did you choose the trumpet?
I started to study music at 7 years of age, with my grandfather Inacio Pepino. After several months of music theory it was time to pick an instrument, I picked the trombone because my other grandfather, Oscar Brum was a trombone player. He was the principal trombone player of the Brazilian symphonic orchestra for many years.
My problem with the trombone was that it was so heavy that it harmed my shoulder. My father played the trumpet in the carnivals of Rio de Janeiro and we had a trumpet of Brazilian manufacture, I still remember the name of the brand: “Weril Rex”. So I decided to learn to play it and I liked it since the beginning because of its sound, strength, and because of its light weight.
You have studied your musical career in several parts of the world: Brazil, USA, and Germany, what took you to each of these countries?
I studied trumpet and musical theory with my grandfather Inacio Pepino who I keep calling my teacher. I also had trumpet lessons with three important Brazilian trumpet players: Paulo Mendonça, Nelson Oliveira, and Naílson Simões.
I decided to go to USA when I was 16 to a 4 months’ student exchange program, and I ended up staying almost 5 years there. The conductor of the school band was a trumpet player and he suggested me that I had lessons with the trumpet professor of the University of Louisville. He told me that the half hour lesson was $25. So I attended the first class with $25 in my pocket, at the end I had an hour and a half lesson, I said to the professor “let me go to the bank so I can take more money to pay you”. The only thing he asked me was if I liked the class, I said yes, that I liked it very much, so he asked me to assist to an hour lesson each week for free. When I finished my interchange I said to him that I had to go back to Brazil, he asked me if I was interested in studying with him at the University of Louisville. Of course I said yes, but that I was not able to pay for the studies that at that time had the cost of $13,000 a year. He wanted to know if I would like to study there and that if the answer was yes then he had a scholarship prepared for me. Without any doubts I stayed and finished my Bachelor’s Degree of Music in Trumpet Performance.
After finishing in Louisville I met Reinhold Friedrich in Paris, we spoke for a while and he told me that he was to give a week master class in a university in Rio de Janeiro. I was to be at that same time in Rio de Janeiro. I received the master class and I liked his way of teaching and playing. So I decided to go to Karlsruhe to apply to the Conservatory where he taught. I went, I passed the audition and I begun to study with him for two and a half years to get the diploma.
What did you learn at these places?
In Brazil I began my understanding of general music and trumpet. There I had my first classes with trumpet professors because my grandfather was a saxophonist.
In the USA at the University I learned so much about the different music styles, also in the theory as in the practice. In music theory, history of music, conducting, etc, is where I learned the theory part and at different kinds of music groups: orchestra, symphonic bands, big bands, Jazz combos, brass ensembles, trumpet ensembles, etc, is where I learn the practical part.
In Germany I had very specific studies on the trumpet music as soloist and general concepts of art and music with the teaching of Reinhold Friedrich and Edward Tarr, they are living encyclopedias, also in the trumpet knowledge as in music.
<< Fábio Brum >>
Which are the styles of your preference?
Although I studied several music styles and I listen to a lot of music of all kinds, the style I feel more comfortable with is classical music. And I also like to play the music of my country.
I am also open many kinds of musical projects, in fact, I have some projects of traditional Brazilian music and Hindu music.
Do you have any favorite music work or composer?
I have several, it depends on the moment. The same with the musicians, I have several favorites, it could happen that I think this is the piano player I like more and the next week I think differently.
About the composer, I like many of them and with different styles, but in orchestral terms, Mahler has always touched my heart in a special way.
In many years of career, what influences have you had?
I have influences of many people. I have been so lucky to know many good musicians and to have their friendship. So I also have not only music references but also study styles and life styles.
Do you consider important the new emerging trends?
I consider very important that music is always in evolution. I love the mixtures of styles in the more contemporary compositions and I think that is very important, especially for the soloist player of our time that he commit himself to perform and make or commission new compositions for their respective instruments.
A fact I learned recently is that when I won the International Trumpet Competition “Juan Garcia Marin”, I performed for the first time in public the “Tromba Verso la Pace” concerto. This concert was recorded by an excellent trumpet player, Antoine Acquisto, but this work was never played in public.
Many musicians have superstitions before they go to the stage, do you have any or some kind of special preparation?
I don’t have superstitions, but I like to look to the stage before I go to play. About the preparation, I feel that if I feel that I enjoy it much more if I am very secure about what I am going to do.
What can you say are special features of your performance?
I don’t know what to say, you better ask the audiences that have heard me…hahaha!
The past July you won the International Competition of Trumpet Juan García Marín, how was this experience?
It was a nice Competition and very well organized. I think it’s a great idea to give a tribute to Juan García Marín who I couldn’t meet, but many people say that he was an excellent trumpet player and also a beautiful person, he made a lot of friends everywhere.
The competition was very difficult specially, at the final work: “Tromba verso la Pace”, it is a complex work for its changes in time and rhythmic difficulty. I’m very happy to have won a very important Prize, it was a very nice time for me, I made new friends and I have learned a lot.
You are one of the staff members of Stomvi, what do Stomvi trumpets give to you? Do you have a preferred model?
I have to say that without Stomvi everything would be harder. Besides that I feel part of the big Stomvi family, I have to tell that I had never seen so big concern for the sound quality and perfection as in the Stomvi brand. Vicente Honorato is without any doubt a genius in the music instrument making, he has an amazing musical hear.
The new trumpet series “Mahler Titan” are the best trumpets I have ever played in my life. When I went to Stomvi I started to play the Master Titanium, I could feel a huge increase in quality. But the Mahler Titan trumpets completed all I needed to project all I feel inside the trumpet, they have no physical obstacles. These trumpets have an amazing sound and a spotless intonation, so they are very easy to play. They help you with the endurance, which is very important for trumpet players, especially soloists.
In my personal experience with the Mahler Titan trumpets and because of the success of these trumpets around the world with many trumpet players, Stomvi and I have decided to have a permanent exposition of the “Mahler Titan” trumpets and mouthpieces in my house in Rio de Janeiro. Since August 30th all trumpet players interested are invited to go to my house to try these wonderful instruments.
<< From left to right: Vicente Honorato, owner of Stomvi; Fábio Brum, Staff Stomvi; Jordi Albert, Staff Stomvi, and Eduardo Martínez, business manager of Stomvi. >>
With your extensive resume that you have achieved, what are your goals for the future?
I am a very happy person and I feel very complete in all areas of my life. I just want to keep doing what I always wanted to do, to play as soloist as many times as possible. Of course I also play in orchestras and give lessons, which is very gratifying.
For them who want to learn to play the trumpet, how do they should start?
With love. They have to find a teacher that loves music and who understands his instrument. Then if they feel that music is something more important I recommend them to study the principles of the trumpet daily and to hear many music styles.
At the end of this interview, I will ask you to tell us any fun story that had happened to you.
I could write a book with funny things, from eating stone soup to sleeping on a kitchen floor to riding a motorcycle in Finland, but I don’t think this is the right moment… hahahah!!!!!
However, I do want to tell you something: I’m native of Rio de Janeiro city and my family had always lived in the São Cristóvão neighborhood that in Spanish means San Cristobal. My dear friend Francisco “Pacho” Flores is from a Venezuelan town called San Cristóbal. My girlfriend, Clara Martínez who is a flute player, aside from being the best girlfriend in the world, started to study flute in a street of Jerez de la Frontera called San Cristóbal. In the same way a big part of her family from Asturias live in Villanueva of San Cristóbal.
And there is more, my grandfather and teacher Inácio Pepino, he was a taxi driver for many years and always before he went out for work, he asked San Cristóbal, saint of the drivers that he protects him. The owner of the restaurant where the Stomvi family eats during the week is from Anna, this city is where I won the last competition, and she lives of course in the San Cristóbal street. Anyway, the street sign is on the front wall of her house.
To end these coincidences, I have to tell that my mother’s name is Ana and together with my father Carlos they are devoted to Santiago (Saint James), they made the Santiago way several times and they are related with the Asociación del Camino de Santiago (the Saint James Way Association) in Rio de Janeiro. And I obviously I won the International Trumpet Competition “Juan García Marín” in July 25th; this is the day of San Cristóbal and Santiago!
