Celebrity Brass Death Match,” a special, one-time event, will be held at East Tennessee State University on Friday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. in Mathes Hall.The free public concert is part of the Department of Music’s spring concert series.

On opposite sides of the “ring” (stage) will be two former United States Air Force Band system brass soloists and current ETSU brass faculty — Dr. David Champouillon and Jimmie Self – who will go head-to-head, bell-to-bell in a recital of solos for cornet and euphonium.

To keep the “match” fair, an unbiased judge is being brought in – just in case the soloing gets out of hand – to serve as final arbiter.

Champouillon, a Performing Artist for Bach Trumpets, is a professor of trumpet and jazz studies at ETSU, where he is head of the brass area and directs the Jazz Ensemble. He is leader of The Jazz Doctors, a popular regional ensemble, and has been a soloist with symphonies and chamber orchestras throughout the U.S. and abroad. The former USAF solo jazz/classic trumpeter has appeared with such artists as Lenore Raphael, Marvin Hamlisch, the Moody Blues, Mel Torme, Arturo Sandoval, Gary Graffman, Linda Kelm and Disney Ice Shows.

Champouillon presents master classes/lectures and performs throughout the country in classical, jazz and festival settings. He has written several trumpet books, articles and lectures for the International Trumpet Guild and holds a doctorate in music from the University of Northern Colorado.

Self, an active performer on all the low brass instruments in both classical and jazz settings, is in demand as a lecturer and clinician throughout the region. He is a retired USAF band system chief master sergeant after performing throughout the world for U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state and serving at the Bands Branch in the Pentagon. He is also part of the ETSU Faculty Brass ensemble and is principal trombone of the Kingsport Symphony Orchestra.

For more information, call Carol Gatz in the ETSU Department of Music at 423-439-4278 or contact Champouillon at 439-6955 or champoui@etsu.edu.

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