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Roger Voisin

Roger Louis Voisin (born June 26, 1918 – died February 13, 2008) was a famous American trumpet player who played classical music. In 1959, a big newspaper called him "one of the best-known trumpeters in this country." He was a very important musician.

Roger Voisin: A Trumpet Legend

Roger Voisin was one of the most important trumpet players and teachers of the 1900s. He joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1935 when he was only 17 years old. He started as an assistant trumpet player and became the main trumpet player in 1950. He played with the Boston Symphony for 38 years, until 1973. During this time, he was also the main trumpet player for the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Roger moved to the United States as a child. His father, René Voisin, who was also a trumpet player, joined the Boston Symphony in 1928. Roger first learned from his father. Later, he studied with other great trumpet players from the Boston Symphony, like Marcel LaFosse and Georges Mager. He also learned solfege (music reading skills) from Gaston Dufresne.

Amazing New Music

Roger Voisin was the first to play many important trumpet pieces. These included Paul Hindemith's Sonata for Trumpet and Piano. He also premiered Alan Hovhaness' Prayer of St. Gregory. He was also the first in the US to play Alexander Arutiunian's Trumpet Concerto with the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1966.

A famous piece called A Trumpeter's Lullaby was written just for Roger Voisin in 1949 by Leroy Anderson. Roger Voisin and the Boston Pops Orchestra first recorded it in 1950. Leroy Anderson said he wrote it because Roger Voisin wanted a trumpet solo that was different. Most trumpet solos were loud and powerful. Roger wanted a quiet, gentle lullaby for the trumpet.

Roger Voisin also helped with many early recordings of famous classical works. These included Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #2 and Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. He also played in recordings of pieces by Aaron Copland, Joseph Haydn, Alexander Scriabin, Georg Philipp Telemann, and Antonio Vivaldi.

Teaching Future Musicians

Roger Voisin was a teacher at the Tanglewood Music Center from its start in 1940 until he passed away in 2008. He taught wind instruments and solfège to future conductors. In 1950, he became the head of the brass and percussion department at the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC). He was the main trumpet teacher there for almost 30 years.

In 1975, he became a full professor at Boston University. He taught trumpet and led the wind, percussion, and harp department until he retired in 1999. In 1989, Roger Voisin gave many of his personal music books to Boston University. He received an honorary degree from the New England Conservatory in 1991, along with the famous jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. He also helped judge the Maurice André trumpet competition.

Many of Roger Voisin's students now play in orchestras or teach music around the world. Here are some of them:

A special competition for young trumpet players, called the Roger Voisin Memorial Trumpet Competition, was created in his honor.

Helping Music Publishers

Roger Voisin also worked as an editor for International Music Company. He helped prepare over 45 music editions for them. This means he helped make sure the music was written correctly for others to play.

Some of the composers whose works he edited include:

Recordings

Roger Voisin made many recordings throughout his career. Here are some of his important albums:

  • The Modern Age of Brass (This album featured music by composers like Hindemith and Dahl.)
  • Roger Voisin / Music for Trumpet & Orchestra (Vol 1) (This included trumpet concertos by Haydn and Vivaldi, and pieces by Henry Purcell.)
  • Roger Voisin & John Rhea Trumpets / Trumpet Impressions 2 (This album featured music from older times, including pieces by Girolamo Fantini and Henry Purcell.)
  • Roger Voisin: The Baroque Trumpet - Disc One and Disc Two (These albums focused on music from the Baroque period, with works by composers like Vivaldi, Telemann, and Biber.)
  • Music of Jubilee - Johann Sebastian Bach (On this album, Roger Voisin played solo trumpet with the Columbia Chamber Orchestra.)
  • The Old South Brass, Organ and Timpani (Here, Roger Voisin was the conductor for pieces like Pomp and Circumstance and The Stars & Stripes Forever.)
  • Koussevitzky Conducts Bach (Boston Symphony Orchestra) (This included Bach's famous Brandenburg Concertos.)
  • Bernstein, conducts Stravinsky and Ravel (Roger Voisin played in recordings of works by Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel.)
  • Pierre Monteux Conducts the BSO: Debussy; Liszt; Scriabin (This album featured music by Franz Liszt and Alexander Scriabin.)
  • Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3/Debussy: La Mer/Ibert: Escales, Boston Symphony, Charles Münch
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