Collaborations
Chamber Music
Chamber Music has been central to Judith’s journey as a collaborative artist. Each Fall for 20 years, she presented a recital at the universities where she taught. Of these recitals only one featured only trumpet and piano – purposely chosen to premiere compositions by her fellow trumpet players. All the rest featured collaborations between an array of musicians and artists. Singers, percussionists, organists, dancers, poets, brass and wind players, her recitals are events for community engagement through the vehicle of music.
At her introductory recital at UNC School of the Arts she was off-stage offering the music and a modern dancer with whom she collaborated was on center stage, and the same again at the start of the second half, demonstrating the primacy and necessity for our collaborative partners in the arts.
Guest Recitals
Judith is primarily a Collaborative musician and views each one of her solo recitals (a misnomer, at best) as collaborations in the truest sense of the word.
When performing as a guest, she eagerly joins her provided collaborative pianist and invites her host musician to perform with her. Since the pandemic the hosts also jointly premiere the duo fanfares she composes especially for the occasion.
(See RECORDINGS to hear more of Judith's long-time collaboration with pianist Allison Gagnon.)
Saxton Olsen Duo
This Trumpet and Organ Duo was founded in 2009 with her former UNCSA colleague, Dr. Timothy Olsen, organ. Sought after for their imaginative programming and colorful collaborations, they present recitals nationwide for an array of conferences, churches and concert series. They have recorded two Compact Discs together and continue to concertize across the US. (see RECORDINGS).
Trumpet Ensemble
Currently, she is a member of the All-Women Trompettes Soniques who had their inaugural performance at the 2022 IWBC Conference. Judith was briefly a member of Tromba Mundi trumpet ensemble; she recorded and toured with them and hosted them at UNCSA where she was on faculty.
Quintets
Since joining the Mansfield Brass Quintet as a college freshman – the resident faculty ensemble at her undergraduate school - there has not been a year where Judith has not been involved with a brass quintet. While pursuing her Masters in Music at Northwestern she was both in a brass quintet and coached another as part of her graduate assistantship. Later as a freelancer in Chicago, she was a founding member of three groups: Chicago Tower Brass, Strictly Brass and Essence of Brass.
Each group performed many recitals and were called on for various performing opportunities across Chicago. She was also pleased to substitute frequently with the Chicago Symphony Brass Quintet for their City of Chicago in-school presentations. During her 7-year tenure at Wichita State University, the Wichita Brass Quintet (founded in 1964) presented annual recitals and KS tours. When arriving at UNC School of the Arts and finding no faculty brass chamber group, it became necessary for Judith to found the inaugural UNCSA Brass Quintet in 2007. She led, organized and performed with that group concurrent with co-founding the Southeast Chamber Brass with faculty colleagues from Southeastern universities and enjoyed many University Chamber Music Series performances and an International Trumpet Guild Youth Day feature concert. Her summer music festivals also feature brass quintets in community performances.
Brass Ensembles
Judith has been a multi-year member of the Chicago-based Millar Brass Ensemble, named after the chapel on Northwestern University’s campus, and performed on their first 2 recordings. Monarch Brass is the all-star, all-women performing arm of the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC). As a member, Judith frequently joined them for both IWBC and International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Conference performances, and can be heard on their inaugural recording.
Jazz Groups
Judith was a member of the UNCSA Jazz Septet, concertizing with them frequently in her time there. She has led a jazz quartet for a set at the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, and has joined a number of other pick-up groups during her career. She has been known to scat and/or whistle if her trumpet isn’t handy.