By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Charles Saenz has gotten a lot of mileage out of Charles Chaynes’ Concerto for Trumpet.
In 1994 when he was a junior at New Mexico State University, Saenz played the concerto in the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition. He came away with first prize and a dream.
Then 20 years later Saenz recorded the concerto. It serves as the centerpiece for his first CD, “Eloquentia,” which was released in December by Beauport Classical.
The concerto, Saenz, 44, said, has been “a signature piece” that he has been studying and performing for over 20 years. “I’ll put it away for a few years and then bring it back and perform it when I’m at a different point in my playing.”
He’ll find some things easier, and other aspects just as difficult. “It really challenges, in different ways, my physical abilities on the instrument,” he said. “But along with that it’s very challenging harmonically. His language is one that takes time to understand.”
Saenz’ winning performance in the college competition set the trajectory for his career.
He had been planning to follow his father’s footsteps and become a band director. After winning the major competition, he realized he wanted to be a performer and college professor. That meant putting “blinders on,” and concentrating on the performance, and committing to getting a graduate degree. “You start seeing little benchmarks along the way. It kind of propelled my career in a direction that led here.”
Saenz has been a professor of trumpet at Bowling Green State University for 15 years. During that time he’s remained an active performer. He’s played with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, the Toledo Symphony, and Michigan Opera Theater. For the past four years, he’s been a member of the Tower Brass Quintet, an ensemble that draws on his mastery of multiple styles.
Saenz says he also enjoys solo recitals. He and frequent collaborator, pianist Solungga Liu, who also is featured on “Eloquentia,” have toured internationally. They will present a Faculty Artist concert Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Bryan Recital Hall at BGSU’s Moore Center for the Musical Arts.
The program will feature two pieces from the CD: Sonatina by Bohuslav Martinu and “In the Style of Albeniz” by Rodion Shchedrin, which will end the recital the way it closes the CD – with a flourish.
Also on the recital program will be Georg Philipp Telemann’s Concerto in D, Manuel de Falla’s “Suite of Old Spanish Dances,” and Fisher Tull’s Sonata.
“I like to keep challenging myself,” Saenz said. “I try to play new pieces.” This will be the first time he and Liu will perform the Tull Sonata.
“I play pieces that students may want to perform in the next semester or so,” Saenz added. The same holds true for the selections on “Eloquentia.”
“I would hope some of my students who have listened to CD might say ‘I’m really interested in those pieces.’”
Two of the compositions, Variations by Henri Challan and Trois Mouvements by Andre Waignein are being recorded for the first time. Two others, the Chaynes concerto and Concertino for Trumpet by Joseph Jongen, are being recorded for the first time with this instrumentation. The previous recording of the Jongen was with organ.
The recording of the concerto with piano serves a pedagogical purpose as well as an artistic one.
Students, Saenz said, study and perform the piece with piano, not full orchestra. They will ask Saenz if a recording exists with that instrumentation.
Now Saenz can say, “Yes, there is,” and direct them to “Eloquentia.”
Challan’s Variations “rarely gets performed.” Saenz was introduced to it by retired BGSU trumpet professor George Nowak.
“The Challan is a particularly deep piece in the way it’s structured,” Saenz said. “There’s a lot of gratification that comes from learning the piece, performing it and understanding the connection between the variations.”
Saenz’ devotion to teaching is no surprise given his background.
He Saenz grew up in Bayard in southwestern New Mexico. His band director father was a trumpet player and had “various instruments” around the house. Young Charles was curious, so he started playing in fourth grade, a year younger than usual.
His father was his trumpet teacher until his son headed off to college. While such an arrangement is often a recipe for failure, in this instance it worked. “He was very good at giving me space and trying to bring in a variety of learning experiences,” Saenz said.
That included from the time he was in junior high playing in combos and dance bands together, as well as in a town-gown big band at Western New Mexico University.
“It was very important that I learn to do some kind of improvisation, playing by ear, because it would serve me well later,” Saenz said.
Some of the bands played music rooted in Mexican folk music. “It has probably contributed most to my overall concept of phrasing and certainly my strength.”
Now ensconced at BGSU where he has a studio of 17 students, Saenz is seeing his career come full circle. Last fall one of his graduate students, Marcus Flores, won the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition.
Saenz recalls that competition “was very important for me because it exposed me to a larger community within the trumpet world.” “I felt it was very important helping shape my career.”
