Blair junior trombone performance major Aaron “AJ” Abbey has been named a finalist in the prestigious Kleinhammer Orchestral Bass Trombone Competition. He will travel to London, Ontario, Canada, in July for the annual competition, hosted during the International Trombone Festival which features four days of performances and master classes by elite musicians from around the world.
“Making the final round of the Kleinhammer Competition of the International Trombone Association is a huge achievement!,” said Jeremy Wilson, Blair professor of trombone. “The age limit of 25 means that AJ was likely competing against many graduate students from other top schools around the world. The competition has become much more international since I was in college, and most years the finalists are not US-based. So, AJ truly was being compared with top students from around the globe.
“The ITA competitions are the gold standard in our corner of the industry. There aren’t really any other national or international competitions on trombone that get the number, diversity, and quality of applicants that those do. AJ has worked really hard to earn this accomplishment, and we are very proud of him.”
AJ Abbey was previously a finalist in the George Roberts Bass Trombone Competition, both as an individual performer and as a member of a trombone quartet.