Jeffrey Work, Trumpet
The Boston Globe hailed Jeffrey Work as "an unusually accomplished and powerful trumpet player." Discovered by Mstislav Rostropovich in January, 1992, Mr. Work appeared as soloist on a series of four National Symphony Orchestra subscription concerts later that year. Rostropovich subsequently invited him to perform at the 1993 Rencontres Musicales d’Evian in Evian, France. There, Work made both concerto and chamber music appearances and returned in the same capacity in 1997. He was also offered his November, 1994, Paris debut by the Director of Music of Radio France.
The National Symphony Orchestra concerts marked Mr. Work’s second appearance with the NSO. In June, 1985, after winning the orchestra’s Young Soloists’ Competition, he performed on four young people’s concerts conducted by Hugh Wolff. He has also given solo performances with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, the United States Army Band, the New England Conservatory’s Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Bach Ensemble, as well as regional, community, and festival orchestras throughout the country. In 1997, during his third solo engagement with the Missouri Chamber Orchestra, Work recorded the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. In 1998, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston featured him in the world premiere of Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Trumpet and String Orchestra; in 2004 that orchestra joined Work in premiering a concerto by James Mitchell Stephenson.
As recitalist, Mr. Work’s concerts have included three for Washington’s "Music at Noon" series and two in Boston’s Jordan Hall. His programs, which encompass a wide variety of musical styles and instrumental colors, highlight the trumpet’s versatility as a solo instrument. The Washington Post predicted a "solid concert career" for Mr. Work. Another review, in the Fairfax Journal (VA), paid tribute to the extraordinary abilities of this emerging virtuoso: "His trumpet tone was clear but velvet-edged in the middle and low range and the top notes had the texture and brilliance of spun gold."
In 1995, Jeffrey Work received the New England Conservatory of Music’s highest performance honor, the Artist Diploma. He remains the only trumpet soloist in that program’s long history. Since then, Mr. Work has resided in Boston and actively participates in its musical life. Work’s principal teachers have been Sgt. Major Robert Ferguson, Charles Schlueter, and Armando Ghitalla.