Ben van Dijk made a successful appearance during the ITF 2002 in Denton, USA.
Most of the text is from Joshua Brown. Thanks a lot for this!!!
Ben van Dijk's bass trombone playing is superb, but his 11:00 concert/clinic showed everyone just how good he is on the contrabass trombone. Ben was joined onstage by Håkan Björkman, Jessica Gustavsson, and Lars Westergren, all members of the Royal Opera Orchestra of Stockholm. This group performed excerpts for an hour, including selections by Wagner, Verdi, and Strauss. One word comes to mind when I think back on this performance -- SOUND! The audience was in complete awe every time Ben played. Heinz Fadle helped out with the narration so Ben could stay focused on the performance. As this was a truly remarkable event, the text of the presentation and video clips will be placed on the ITA site. Thanks go to Ben for sharing this information.
Lars Westergren, Jessica Gustavsson, Ben Van Dijk and Håkan Björkman
Having fully recovered from his morning workout with the contrabass, Ben van Dijk performed with members of Slide Tradition during a shared recital with Stefan Sanders and Ian Bousfield.
Ben van Dijk graced the stage many times during the ITF.
His recital pieces consisted of Stevens' The Chief, Frescobaldi's Canzone, and Reijngoud's Mr. Roberts. This was the world-premiere of Mr. Roberts, a chart Ben recorded on his debut album Nana.
Ben van Dijk, Ian Bousfield and Stefan Sanders.
Ben was a member of the jury in both the Lewis van Haney and the Jaxly competitions.
Dan West, a student of Vern Kagarice at the University of North Texas, was the 2002 Yaxley Competition winner. First prize in this category was a Thein bass trombone. Dan is pictured with Ben van Dijk, Heinrich Thein, and Max Thein.
A warming up session with more then a 100 players was well received and gave many players new ideas.
Jay Friedman and Ben van Dijk pose after the Cramer Choir concert.
On Sunday at 3:30, the William Cramer Choir presented a highly musical concert.
Jay Friedman conducted this group of college trombone professors, and his style was evident in their performance. The choir played the entire spectrum of the musical palette.
Ben van Dijk joined the group on Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music as bass trombone soloist. Ben's performance was a tremendous finale to his week at the Festival.
Ben van Dijk after his interpretation of Wagners beautiful aria.
Ben also gave a masterclass in which he coached young players in orchestral excerpts.