Boston Symphony Orchestra Trumpet Section Joins Yamaha Family of Artists

By SBO+ Staff

Yamaha Corporation of America announced the addition of the trumpet section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) to its esteemed Yamaha Artists roster.

Principal trumpet, Thomas Rolfs, and his fellow BSO section members –Benjamin Wright, Thomas Siders, and Michael Martin – each selected the Yamaha Xeno Artist Model New York C trumpet (YTR-9445NYSIIYM).

“The players’ decision to come on board as Yamaha Artists occurred very organically,” said Bob Malone, director, B&O Atelier, Yamaha Corporation of America. “Tom Rolfs is greatly admired as one of the preeminent principal trumpeters in the classical orchestra world, and many young professional musicians coming up in the big orchestras look upon him as a mentor. Our relationship with each of the members of the BSO trumpet section reflects an alignment of values, and a shared passion for making and putting out the best music possible.”

Yamaha developed a unique model of the “New York” C trumpet for the BSO, utilizing the Yamaha “YM” bell taper that was developed for the BSO and its world-renowned Symphony Hall. With all the trademarks of a Yamaha trumpet in place – flexible sound, superb response, excellent intonation, combined with enhanced dynamic response and excellent projection characteristics – Yamaha designers devoted particular attention to achieving the singular sound desired by one of the greatest performing orchestras in the world.

According to Malone, the BSO trumpet players immediately embraced the new model with its distinctive bell shape and the sound it produced. A formal process ensued to adjust the instruments according to each player’s preference.

“Choosing a horn is a very personal decision, and it’s very unusual that all four of us, as a group, came to this conclusion. We’ve received very positive feedback from our music director, Andris Nelsons, from other players in the orchestra and from our audiences,” said Rolfs, who has performed with the BSO since 1991. “Yamaha is devoted to education and has a reputation to really go after excellence – and they do it in a tenacious way. If they get it right, they keep tweaking. It’s part of the company culture.”

The BSO is celebrating its 135^th season and is composed of distinguished musicians from around the world who perform more than 250 concerts each year. This orchestra continues to richly fulfill the vision of its founder, Henry Lee Higginson, who wanted to establish a great and permanent orchestra in Boston. http://www.yamaha.com/artists/