Trombonist Scott Avant is on a strategic career path and becoming a music university professor is his end goal. Still, in today’s climate, that means he not only needs to have a doctorate degree, but an impressive resume teemed with skills, achievements, and engagements like professional competitions. His resolve came after watching Italian trombonist Peter Steiner being honored as a prize winner at the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia in 2019.
In early February, Avant, now in his second year Doctor of Musical Arts [DMA] in Music Performance at Frost School of Music, heard that Steiner was coming to Frost to present his trombone masterclass. So, he signed up immediately.
“I wanted to hear what Steiner, international trombone soloist, and someone widely known as the ‘star trombonist of this generation’ had to say about the trombone,” says Avant. “He’s a strong player, so I wanted to attempt what he has done.”
On April 1, Avant submitted his application to the XV11 International Tchaikovsky Competition. It consisted of a 20-minute video audition of virtuosic music registering the horn. “I selected the hardest compositions I could find,” explains Avant. “I wanted to show off everything I could, otherwise I would not have been noticed by the judges.”
From Enrique Crespos’ improvisations to intense Bach pieces and more traditional selections from Henry Tomasi, Avant’s auditioning presentation followed one distinct competition rule: it all had to be done in one take.
On June 1, Avant received a call and quickly noticed it said ‘Moscow’ on his caller ID. A few days later, he received an email confirming his invitation to participate in the competition.
Though he decided not to attend due to the political climate, the invite alone was a celebration. More than 743 musicians applied to the competition, which happens every four years, and he was chosen among 48 other brass musicians worldwide to participate.
“The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a major event; it’s like the Olympics of musical instruments!” Avant explains. “It plays a tribute to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and it is live- streamed from the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory. Musicians from all over the world watch this incredible event. It is remarkable.”
Avant’s passion for music is in his genes. His parents are musicians, and so he started on piano very young. Later, in sixth grade, his band director put him on trombone. “I wanted to play trumpet because my dad played the trumpet, but the band already had too many trumpet players. I stuck with it because I realized I enjoyed learning it, and at that age, it feels cool to be really good at something.”
As Avant kept getting better at his instrument, he began to have more fun with it. That realization became part of the path that led him to the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Next, he is practicing for the Marine Band’s audition. However, that is not all.
“The main reason I came to Frost was to get my DMA,” he admits. “After I finished my master’s degree, I attempted to interview at universities to become a professor, but they all required a doctorate. Participating in the International Tchaikovsky Competition and others like it also helps me put extraordinary things on my resume that technically only 20 other trombone players have. And, of course, these auditions and competitions are specific things that I wanted to try to see if I could. Now I believe I have the potential to do these things.”
