March 2014 Winner: Arthur Escriva
Born in 1997 to a family of musicians, Arthur Escriva began playing trumpet at the age of five in the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Départemental du Tarn (CRD) in the class of Xavier Durand. In 2009, he joined the class of Laurent Beltran, with whom he also studied Baroque trumpet. One year later, he began studying with René Gilles Rousselot at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Toulouse (CRR).
In 2011, he won the Premier prix à l’unanimité avec les félicitations du jury (first prize unanimously with honors) in his class at the Parnassus Trumpet Competition (end of second cycle). The following year, he won first prize at the Maurice André Competition in Alès (ages 13–17) and was also a finalist for the seventh European Competition of Young Trumpeters in Alençon.
In 2013, at the age of fifteen, he won first prize in trumpet (Très bien) at the CRD Tarn and was chosen to be part of the French Youth Orchestra under the direction of Dennis Russell Davies, making him one of the youngest musicians to join that ensemble.
In 2013, he also won first prize (Supérieur) at the eighth trumpet competition at L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, where he was granted a fellowship to study with Pierre Dutot at the Festival du Cap Ferret. He also participated in masterclasses with Anthony Plog, Eric Aubier, Manu Mellaerts, Christian Léger, Jean-François Dion, Thierry Caens, David Guerrier, and Guy Messler.
He plays with a variety of ensembles, including the Brass Band of Toulouse, L’Ensemble Orchestral du Tarn, and Ensemble Instrumental de l’Ariège. In October 2013, he performed the concerto for trumpet and band, entitled Mister Jack, by Jean-Michel Maury with Ensemble Instrumental de l’Ariège.
As the March 2014 Young Artist Award recipient, Arthur will receive a one-year complimentary membership to ITG. Congratulations, Arthur!