Kris Garfitt is the first prize winner of the International ARD Music Competition 2022, a Courtois Performing Artist and Gold Medal winner of the 2019 Royal Overseas League Music Competition, naming him the 2019 ‘Commonwealth Musician of the Year’. From 2016 until 2020 Kris was working as a member of the German Radio Philharmonic, and since 2021 the solo trombonist with the WDR Symphony Orchestra. Kris is also first prize winner of the 2019 Jeju International Music Competition, 2018 International Tenor and Bass Trombone Competition in Budapest, the 2018 International Juozas Pakalnis Competition of Wind and Percussion Instruments in Vilnius and the 2019 International IPV Trombone Competition in Germany. Besides regular concerts with his orchestra, he performs frequently as guest solo trombonist with many of Europe’s leading orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, Bavarian Radio Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (to name just a few).
You are an inspiration to college-level trombonists such as myself! I am happy with my jury performance, but your sound is just AMAZING, and I strive to develop one like yours. Bravo ❤
This concerto, like the Bloch Symphony, deserves a much greater audience relative to the 'usual' suspects. The orchestral part goes a long way to making it listenable because its cleverly scored for an audience schooled by film music and not otherwise given to modern instrumental repertoire. Well played too, except that there is nothing in the orchestral parts or score to suggest, mirror, or support the choice of the heavy handed 'jazz' inflections in the solo part. I think the melodic line itself is sufficiently 'bluesy' to achieve the popular 'desired' (as called for in the music) effect and affect.
Keep going kid. Average at best. My son played this as ONE of his assigned pieces to get into the Marine Corps Band. Your tone is a 5th-grade level tone. Not good, and you would be lucky to get into the University of Illinois band 5th chair.
5th grade? Are you mad? That is just disrespectful. I didn't even start playing until the 6th grade and his tone sounds like a college tone to me (who listens to music and knows the sound of every instrument in the orchestra).
I've a retired musician from a major orchestra in the US and I have never heard this solo done as nuanced and musical as this, bravo! Perfect tempo, as well