UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State School of Music's trombone studio will present its annual "Trombone Labor Days" on Sept. 6-7. Highlights of the two-day event celebrating all things trombone include a faculty recital by trombone Professor Mark L. Lusk at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6, and a performance by guest Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) member James Nova with the Trombone Choir at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7. All events will occur in Esber Recital Hall and are free and open to the public.
Lusk's recital is titled “All My Friends Are Trombone Players — The Music of Tommy Pederson.” The title derives from Pederson's CD of the same name, which features six of the world's greatest trombone players. Lusk will be joined by members of the Penn State trombone studio. The Sunday evening recital will be live-streamed at cwstudios.tv.
Titled "At the Movies," Nova's performance Monday evening will feature music written by James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer and John Williams for the movies "Gladiator," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "The Green Hornet," "JFK," "Superman" and "Star Wars." This concert will be live-streamed on the Penn State School of Music's website.
For updates and a full listing of "Trombone Labor Days" events, all of which are open to the public, please visit the trombone studio website.
Lusk became a member of the Penn State faculty in 1986. Prior to his appointment, he enjoyed a varied career with such diverse groups as the Woody Herman Thundering Herd, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and the Chicago Contemporary Chamber Players. Lusk continues to have an active playing career as a soloist, clinician and freelance musician. As a member of the Woody Herman Alumni Band, he has performed throughout the United States and abroad, including featured performances at jazz festivals in China, England, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Scotland and Sweden.
In the fall of 2009, Nova joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as its second/utility trombone. Before joining the PSO, he served eight seasons as the assistant principal/second trombonist of the Utah Symphony Orchestra. He attended the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and then moved to Boston to pursue a master’s degree at the New England Conservatory of Music. After finishing his master’s degree, he freelanced in Boston, substituting on a regular basis with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra. In 2001, Nova moved to Salt Lake City to join the Utah Symphony Orchestra.
In March of 2012, Nova made his solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, performing the Henri Tomasi trombone concerto, as well as his own arrangement of the famous Tommy Dorsey jazz ballad, “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You,” the material on which Tomasi based his trombone concerto.