When I think of the most outstanding tone to come from a trumpet, I remember a trumpet workshop at the Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago which featured a lecture by the great orchestral trumpet legend Mr. Adolph “Bud” Herseth. When I think back to the most technically gifted trumpet player I have seen and heard, I remember an outstanding performance by Mr. Allen Vizzutti at an International Trumpet Guild conference. When I reflect back to the most musical trumpet performance I can recall, a solo performed on our campus by Mr. Allen Dean stands out in my memory.
BUT…..
To have all of these gifts bundled in one musician would be expecting too much, I thought. As impossible as it might be, I have found such a player and his name is Pacho Flores.
Francisco “Pacho” Flores is a first-prize winner of the Maurice André International Competition, the world’s most important trumpet contest, as well as the first prize at the International Competition “Philip Jones” and First Prize at the International Competition “Citta di Porcia”.
A product of the ground-breaking Venezuelan System of Youth and Children Orchestras (El Sistema), he is becoming increasingly recognized for his outstanding performing and recording activity that spans the solo, chamber, and orchestral media.
Equally at home in the classical and folk styles, Mr. Flores captivates audiences with his energetic delivery and colorful tone.
His solo performances include appearances with orchestras such as the Kiev Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Camerata, the Ensemble Orchestralde Paris, the Orchestré de la Garde Républicaine, the NHK Symphony, the Tokyo Symphony, the Osaka Philharmonic, and the Simón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela. In recital, he has performed in venues such as the New York Carnegie Hall, the Paris Salle Pleyel and the Tokyo Opera City.
A founding member of the Venezuelan Simón Bolívar Brass Quintet, he has toured with the quintet extensively in Europe, South America, the United States, and Japan.
An experienced orchestral musician, Mr. Flores has played first trumpet in the Simón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela, the Saito Kinen Orchestra, and the Miami Symphony, under the direction of Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Seiji Ozawa, Giusseppe Sinopoli, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, and Gustavo Dudamel, among others. A founding director of the Latin American Trumpet Academy in Caracas, he mentors a promising generation of budding musicians and is a frequent guest at conservatories in Finland, Spain, France, Japan, and Latin America, as as permanent jury member in prestigious international competitions.
Pacho Flores is an avid champion of new music and is bringing about important innovations to trumpet performance and fabrication. His repertoire includes commissions and premieres of works by composers such as Roger Boutry, Efraín Oscher, Giancarlo Castro, Santiago Báez, Juan Carlos Nuñez y Sergio Bernal. His first album “La trompeta Venezolana ” has been released by the label GUATACA Producciones.
A Stomvi artist, he performs with instruments tailored specially for him by this prestigious firm and actively participates in the development and innovation of their instruments. Francisco “Pacho” Flores recently became an exclusive artist with Deutsche Grammophon and will produce with this leading label a series of recordings that represent his rich and varied musical interests.
Marvelous player and what a sound! But amazon.com lists his CD at $48 – more than my budget can take!
Heaven has a cost.
Oh My Gosh! Pacho and the brass instruments are the same person. The heart can sing, as Pacho suggests, when he plays his different sounding instruments. I will purchase his album, if it is available on iTunes. He is to brass what Yo-Yo- Ma is to the cello. Thanks Bruce!
Your Yo-Yo- Ma comments was right on!