Files
Abstract
The myriad accomplishments of Mr. Philip Smith in the trumpet and cornet world are well-known. He performed at the pinnacle of his profession for decades as both an orchestral musician and soloist. Smith retired from the New York Philharmonic in 2014 after thirty-six years as a principal player, and he currently holds the William F. and Pamela P. Prokasy Professorship in the Arts at the University of Georgia. This provided the author, his student, an opportunity to research Mr. Smiths life and music career first-hand. News articles, journals, interviews, personal records, and master classes tell a unique and remarkable story. Interviews with Mr. Derek Smith, his father and cornet teacher; Mr. Joseph Turrin, composer and longtime pianist; and Smith himself, provide enlightening information. Family background, cornet studies with his father, The Salvation Army and its music program, studies at Juilliard, auditions, time as a member of the Chicago Symphony and New York Philharmonic, and key career moments are chronicled. This research references and organizes a vast amount of material, and presents a deeper understanding of the path and thinking of one of the worlds great trumpeters.