ATHENS, Ohio — This Friday, Ohio University will hold its 11th annual Trombone Day in Glidden Hall from 1-6 p.m. This year’s event is highly anticipated by classical music aficionados thanks to its special musical guests, trombonist Christian Lindberg and pianist Roland Pöntinen.
Lindberg and Pöntinen will perform at 8 p.m. the same day, Jan. 26, at the Athens First Methodist Church, 2 College St., Athens. The recital is free and open to the public.
According to Associate Professor of Trombone Lucas Borges, Trombone Day began as Low Brass Day, a recruitment event for local low brass instrument players. (Low brass refers to trombones, euphoniums, baritones and tubas.) Low Brass Day eventually ended but was revived in 2014 by former trombone professor Sarah Paradis as Trombone Day.
Today, Trombone Day is an event for trombone enthusiasts in Athens and surrounding areas to interact with one another as a community. People from all age ranges attend — from middle school students to college students, to band directors.
“Trombone players are community based, we often play together,” said Borges, who has coordinated the event since 2015. “We tend to be social people who hang out together and play together. … That’s sort of our nature.”
Borges said the instrument’s charm is its sound, as it is believed to be the wind instrument closest in sound to the human singing voice. The instrument was originally used alongside church choirs to give the singers’ voices pitch, according to Yamaha.
To describe the trombone’s appeal, Borges paraphrased a quote from the notorious French composer and conductor Hector Berlioz: “The trombone is the only instrument that can sing like angels and roar like lions.”
Borges appreciates the opportunity that this event often gives his students to work one-on-one with renowned musicians. It’s also an opportunity for local residents to see famous trombone players without traveling to a larger city. This year, people are traveling from out of state for a chance to watch Lindberg perform, according to Borges.
Those who are not acquainted with the instrument or classical music may not recognize his name, but enthusiasts know him as the best trombonist in the world. Lindberg was voted “the greatest brass player in history” by CLASSICFM; a 2006 New York Times article described him as “a prodigious and tireless virtuoso” who could sell out a concert venue playing a kazoo.
Accompanying Lindberg will be composer and pianist Pöntinen, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music who is revered for his work with eminent orchestras around the world and his performances at prominent music festivals.
Registration for Trombone Day is closed. Visit the event’s website for more information.
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