By Hannah Salgado
Staff Writer
Trumpet professor Alex Bender performed at the College’s Mayo Concert Hall on Sept. 13. Joined by pianist Benjamin Pawlak, the two kicked off the 2024 Faculty Artist Series.
The Faculty Artist Series features the talents of the College’s music professors. It serves as inspiration and valuable education for music students, while also being open to the public for entertainment.
Bender is an accomplished musician who has had the pleasure of performing with the American Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles including the New Jersey, Princeton and Springfield orchestras. He has accompanied other artists like John Zorn and Dave Liebman, and has played a variety of genres.
Since 2013, he has been a Broadway performer, playing on the original recordings of shows such as “Side Show,” “Neverland” and "Bandstand.”
The recital featured pieces from four different composers. These included “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, “Im Stile Von Albénez” by Rodion Shchedrinn and “River of Time” by David Biedenbender.
The trumpet’s sound was heard throughout the auditorium, with the mute changes adding a unique tone to Bender’s version of the pieces. Mutes are devices that can alter an instrument's tone or volume. Trumpet players can switch out these mutes to add more personality to a piece.
Bender and Pawlak’s rendition of “Rhapsody in Blue” featured a unique arrangement that included the trumpet playing the famous piano solo.
Bender stated that all of the pieces were chosen deliberately for sentimental value. When asked about his favorite piece, he said he couldn’t choose just one.
“When I program a recital, I spend a lot of time actually thinking about what I want to perform, and why I want to perform those songs,” Bender said. “I hate to answer that I love them all equally, but I have picked them for a very specific reason and I really do love them all equally.”
However, “River of Time” by David Biedenbender had a special connection to Bender. The piece was written by one of his former professors.
During the interview, Bender also gave valuable advice to those looking to pursue a life in music.
“Find the thing in music that drives you, that you are inspired by. Start to ask yourself, ‘what is my purpose?’ or ‘why do I want to do this? What is so special about music that I love that I’d love to share?’ As teachers we are sharers. Our job is to share,” he said.
Bender and Pawlak have been on the road for his final recital tour for around nine days. They have had the pleasure of being able to perform the concert repertoire at multiple venues, such as Michigan State University and St. Malachy’s Church in New York. While it isn’t common for there to be multiple recital performances, Bender has enjoyed the experience.
“We’re almost at like nine days together, and it’s been super fun to just get to know each other, love each other more, hate each other a little bit, to go through the whole cycle,” Bender said. “It’s been fun.”
Bender will be performing on Sunset Boulevard on Broadway, in the Radio City Rockettes show and in Ragtime at the Minskoff Theatre.
His performance at the College was the beginning of the 2024 Faculty Artist series. Through this series, students can see their professor’s talent firsthand. It’s enjoyable for non-music majors as well, as you get the opportunity to see fantastic performances.
The next Faculty Artist recital will feature voice Professors Elizabeth Sutton, soprano, and Mark Muliterno, baritone. It is currently scheduled for Nov. 12, 2024.
