October 2025 - Ryan Metsker
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- Published: Thursday, 06 November 2025 05:12
- Written by Sarah Herbert
Ryan Metsker
Recognizing his exceptional musicianship and promising future in trumpet performance, this issue features sixteen-year-old Ryan Metsker of Cincinnati, Ohio, as an ITG 2025 Young Artist Award recipient.
A junior at Milford High School in the 2025 – 2026 school year, Ryan has been playing trumpet for five years. His musical journey began in sixth grade, inspired by his older sisters’ involvement in band. Though percussion was a consideration, it was the trumpet—recommended as a starting instrument—that ultimately captured his imagination. “I realized I really enjoyed the trumpet a lot,” Metsker said. “It offered more of a challenge, something different from piano or singing.”
Ryan’s first exposure to trumpet fundamentals came through a family connection: his sister’s boyfriend, who taught Ryan some of the basics. It was in seventh grade, though, that he met Stephen Wadsack, who became his first formal trumpet teacher. Currently, he studies with Chris Kiradjieff, third/utility trumpet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, with whom Ryan continues to excel.
Over the past year, Ryan’s dedication has translated into significant achievements. He earned the Outstanding Symphonic Band Member Award at Milford High School, highlighting his contributions to the school’s band program. As a ninth grader, he entered the Wright State University Solo Competition, where he gave an impressive performance of the first movement of Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto and placed runner-up in a competitive pool of high school applicants from throughout Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Ryan is also active in the Cincinnati Youth Symphony, where he advanced from alternate placement as a freshman to a place in the second-highest orchestra for his second year. He recently performed side-by-side with members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, gaining valuable experience and mentorship from these professionals.
This summer (2025), Ryan took part in the CSO Brass Institute, further expanding his performance opportunities and musical training. He has also been a three-year participant in the OMEA District Honor Band and has used his talents in service, playing Taps at Memorial Day ceremonies and at local elementary schools.
While Ryan is committed to growing as a musician, he also has broader academic and career ambitions. He plans to pursue an engineering degree in college while also remaining active in music through collegiate ensembles and community performance opportunities. “Trumpet will always be part of my life,” he said.
When asked about his trumpet heroes, Ryan cites virtuoso Alan Vizzutti and his band director, Dr. Tim Dailey, whose practice sessions he often hears and draws inspiration from.
Outside of his musical achievements, Ryan is an uncommonly bright, caring, and high-achieving individual. He frequently volunteers his time at church and other extracurricular activities; for the past two years, he has competed in the World Robotics Team Competition as a representative of his high school’s VEX Robotics Club. Additionally, he takes piano lessons (now in his ninth year), plays ultimate frisbee, and has earned the rank of First Class in Boy Scouts. As the 2025 October ITG Young Artist Award winner, Ryan will receive a one-year complimentary ITG membership. Congratulations, Ryan!
June 2025 Winner Ricardo Lazaro
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- Published: Monday, 11 August 2025 13:38
- Written by Sarah Herbert
Ricardo Lazaro
This issue’s featured Young Artist Award winner is seventeen-year-old Ricardo Lazaro from San Antonio, Texas, where he is completing his senior year at Town East Christian School. As a student, Ricardo ranks at the top of his class and is a recipient of several academic honors, including the Principal’s Award and the Principal’s “A” Honor Roll certificate—both of which he has received for eleven consecutive years. Additionally, he is an active member of his school community, serving as class representative for student congress, as the founder and president of the Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden Club, and as a student-athlete playing on both the varsity basketball and golf teams.
Despite attending a small private school with no music offerings, Ricardo has independently pursued music and trumpet, playing with impressive dedication and grit. It is especially noteworthy that, until recently, he was entirely self-taught, learning primarily through trumpet tutorial videos on YouTube. Outside of school, he is deeply involved in his local music community, participating in several ensembles in San Antonio, including the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio (YOSA) Philharmonic as a Rising Star Fellow, the YOSA Mariachi, and the San Antonio Youth Wind Ensemble (SAYWE).
Some of Ricardo’s recent successes include receiving the 2024 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Artist Award and being selected as an S.E. Shires Rising Artist for October 2023 to May 2025. It is particularly significant that Ricardo is the youngest musician ever selected for recognition by this international program. The director of the Shires Rising Artist Program described Ricardo’s trumpet playing in a letter of recommendation, saying, “Ricky plays the trumpet with an energy and sparkle that is immediately arresting. He plays with an excitement that is infectious and a technique that is quite advanced for a trumpet player of his age and background.”
Ricardo also attended the 2022 Interlochen Arts Camp, where he performed as principal trumpet in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, and he performed with the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) National Festival in 2023 under the direction of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel. Additionally, Ricardo has been a finalist in both the International Trumpet Guild Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition and the National Trumpet Competition.
For Ricardo, music has changed his life more than he initially imagined, and he plans to keep music central to everything he does going forward. He especially wants to acknowledge and thank the teachers who have guided him, including Gerald Bolgren, who took Ricardo under his wing and recognized the potential in his playing; Matthew Mireles; Rod Leonard; Troy Peters; and trumpet instructors Lauren Eberhart, Gabriel DiMartino, and Terry Szor.
Looking ahead, Ricardo plans to minor in trumpet performance and build an active musical career for himself, performing gigs and exploring jazz. Some of his favorite trumpet players who inspire him include Wynton Marsalis, Sergei Nakariakov, Cat Anderson, Jon Faddis, Miles Davis, and Arturo Sandoval. When he is not playing music, Ricardo enjoys reading, playing chess, exercising, and playing video games. He is also a highly decorated Eagle Scout. As the June 2025 ITG Young Artist Award winner, he will receive a one-year complimentary ITG membership. Congratulations, Ricardo!
March 2025 Winner Steven White
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- Published: Monday, 17 March 2025 03:00
- Written by Keith Sells
Steven White
Seventeen-year-old trumpet player Steven White is this issue’s featured Young Artist Award winner. Steven was born in American Fork, Utah, and soon after moved to Boise, Idaho, where he is currently a senior attending Timberline High School. He is very active in his high school band program, serving as section leader, principal trumpet in both concert and marching bands, and lead trumpet in the jazz band. Timberline band director José Rodríguez has praised Steven’s abilities, saying, “Steven plays with a level of musical maturity rarely seen in a student his age, and his contributions have been central to the growth and achievement of each of the ensembles with which he has played. He has really turned a lot of heads and will continue to do so.”
Although Steven began playing trumpet in fifth grade, he initially wanted to play trombone. After getting the instrument names mixed up, he was too afraid to speak up. It seems to have all turned out for the best, though, considering the impressive list of musical accomplishments that he has accumulated as a trumpet player. These recent achievements include receiving first place in the Idaho State Solo and Ensemble Festival for the past two years; being selected to the 2024 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Band in Bellevue, Washington; earning a place in the Idaho All-State Band and Orchestra for three years in a row, including a principal position in 2024; being selected as principal trumpet of the Idaho Orchestra Institute; and winning the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition with a performance of the Haydn Concerto, including his own improvised cadenza. Additionally, Steven performed in the 2023 and 2024 live rounds of the National Trumpet Competition and advanced to the semi-final round in 2024. He also earned the position of lead trumpet in and toured with the Madison Scouts drum corps for the 2024 season.
Over the past five years, Steven has studied trumpet with Dr. Zachary Buie, assistant professor of trumpet at Boise State University. Steven regards his study with Dr. Buie as the number one key to his success because it inspired him to enter the competitions and other musical endeavors that have pushed him out of his comfort zone and no doubt led to the many great things he has accomplished so far in his musical life. Looking to the future, Steven plans to pursue music as a trumpet performance major and continue marching drum corps every summer with the Madison Scouts.
Steven’s favorite trumpet players include Alison Balsom, Wynton Marsalis, and Arturo Sandoval. Outside of his musical pursuits, Steven also enjoys playing chess and folding origami. As the March 2025 ITG Young Artist Award winner, he will receive a one-year complimentary ITG membership. Congratulations, Steven!
January 2025 Winner - Adrianna Dick
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- Published: Thursday, 16 January 2025 12:46
- Written by Sarah Herbert
Adrianna Dick
This issue’s featured Young Artist Award winner is Adrianna Dick, an eighteen-year-old trumpeter and 2024 graduate of Bryan Station High School (BSHS) in Lexington, Kentucky. At BSHS, Adrianna was a principal trumpet in the symphonic band and lead trumpet in the jazz band. As a versatile brass musician, she also played horn and baritone in the concert band. Her leadership extended to serving as drum major for the marching band her senior year and performing as a featured soloist in their halftime show. Additionally, she played in the pit orchestra for the school’s productions of Once Upon a Mattress, The Music Man, and Guys and Dolls. Her entrepreneurial spirit shone through when she started a brass quintet during her junior year, for which she arranged music frequently. Although the group started playing concerts for local middle schools, they soon became an award-winning quintet, winning second prize in the Macauley Chamber Music Competition during Adrianna’s senior year.
Adrianna’s determined spirit resulted in musical achievements that extend well beyond her high school band program. In 2023, she was selected for the prestigious Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts for Instrumental Music. During her senior year, a competitive audition resulted in her performing as principal trumpet in the 2024 MFA Honors Band of America, a Yamaha-endowed chair. Adrianna referred to this opportunity as, “The best musical experience of her high school career.” She also participated in the University of Kentucky (UK) Honors Wind Ensemble, where she served as principal trumpet of the top band. Her involvement in the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra’s Jazz Repertory Orchestra and the Jazz Arts Orchestra, along with serving as lead trumpet in the KMEA All-State Jazz Band for two consecutive years, underscores her young talent.
In the fall of 2024, Adrianna began pursuing a music education degree at the University of Kentucky, studying with Jason Dovel and Abby Temple. As a future music educator, Adrianna hopes to provide the same kind of support that her band directors did for her, shaping lives for the better.
Her favorite trumpeters are Alison Balsom and Mary Elizabeth Bowden, and Adrianna also enjoys drawing, sewing, and most of the arts. As the January 2025 ITG Young Artist Award winner, she will receive a one-year complimentary ITG membership. Congratulations, Adrianna!