Arts & Culture

UK Doctoral Student Invited to Play With Belgrade Philharmonic

photo of Beograd Filharmonia
UK's Justin Croushore served as principal trombonist in a special concert with Beograd Fiharmonia, under the direction of Gabriel Feltz, on the site of its new concert hall.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 16, 2017) University of Kentucky doctoral candidate in the musical arts Justin Croushore was invited to play with the Beograd Filharmonia/Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) this summer. Croushore served as principal trombonist in a special concert with the orchestra, under the direction of Gabriel Feltz, on the future site of the philharmonic's concert hall.

The BPO concert was the season finale, a free public concert held outdoors as a picnic event at the future site of the philharmonic’s new concert hall as a celebration of the news. The repertoire for the June 25 concert was selected in a unique way, as prospective audience members voted for what works would appear on the program through a special online system. The concert was attended by an estimated 25,000 people, and a recording will be released on DVD in the future.

As part of the BPO concert, Croushore performed Maurice Ravel's "Bolero," which is known for having a challenging solo for the trombone.

Croushore has been playing the trombone for 17 years, beginning his studies at age 11. Originally from Ohio, he received a bachelor's degree in music education from Morehead State University and a master's degree in trombone performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Croushore has traveled all over the world to perform, playing previously with the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other orchestras in Italy, Spain and Belgium. This September he will perform at the XXIII Brazilian Trombone Association Festival held in Cuibá, alongside UK Assistant Professor of Trombone Brad Kerns and fellow doctoral candidates J.D. Handshoe and Kevin Callihan.

The UK School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts has garnered a national reputation for high-caliber education in opera, choral and instrumental music performance, as well as music education, music therapy, composition, and theory and music history.