2006 Maestro Concerto Competition Winner!
Jay Villella Winner of the 2006 Maestro Concerto Competion!
Jay Villella began playing the trumpet in fifth grade. Starting in the sixth grade, Jay has taken private lessons with Robert Dolwick for the past six years. He has also studied theory and improvisation with Basil Ronzitti. Jay is a junior at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, and plays in band and jazz band under the direction of Charles Lute. He joined the Erie Jr. Philharmonic in eighth grade. Last year Jay was accepted as co-principal trumpet of The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra under the direction of James Gaffigan. Jay also participates in many PMEA music festivals, and was recently accepted into the PMEA All-State Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Concert Band. Jay plays frequently at St. Joseph's Church and at other various churches. Jay has also been playing for the Erie Playhouse for three years, as well as school musicals.
Jay loves both Symphonic music and Jazz, his favorite composers being Beethoven and Mahler, along with Miles Davis and John Coltrane. He thanks his family for their tremendous love and support, and for putting up with hours of lessons, concerts, long drives, and late-night practice sessions. He also thanks Mr. Dolwick for his infinite patience as well as his incredible ability to teach a student who did not even know how to hold a trumpet correctly. He would also like to thank the Jr. Phil parent's organization for everything that they provide, especially the pizza.
As the winner of the 2006 Concerto Competition, Jay will be performing Alexander Arutunian's Concerto for Trumpet (1950) at this year's Spring Concert.
Jay says it has been absolutely wonderful to play in the Junior Philharmonic, looks forward to next year, and is going to miss all the graduating seniors from whom he has learned so much.
