McKnight Center for the Performing Arts to host New York Philharmonic principal trumpet for concert, masterclass at Oklahoma State University

In anticipation of the 2019 grand opening of The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts, New York Philharmonic Principal Trumpet Christopher Martin will join the Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble for an April 18 performance at the Seretean Center on the Stillwater campus. Martin, whose distinctive career spans over 20 years and includes performances with many of America’s finest orchestras, will also lead a masterclass for OSU trumpet students.

“It’s an honor to host a musician of Chris Martin’s caliber,” said Mark Blakeman, Marilynn and Carl Thoma Executive Director. “His impressive range of experience and his dedication to music education embody The McKnight Center’s commitment to bringing diverse cultural experiences and opportunities to the region. As we approach our October grand opening, we look forward to welcoming yet another high-quality performance to our community.”

Martin’s performance was planned by the McKnight Center and the Greenwood School of Music as part of a series of events that will crescendo with the Center’s grand opening and 2019-20 Inaugural Season, which begins in October with a residency of the New York Philharmonic.

“I admire the McKnight Center’s commitment to the fine arts and its recognition that art in all forms, including music, is worth supporting,” said Martin. “I look forward to joining Maestro Missal and the OSU Wind Ensemble in Stillwater to perform for an audience of enthusiastic Oklahomans.”

Once open, The McKnight Center will provide innovative technology and a superb performance space for OSU music faculty and students while facilitating opportunities for students to learn from and interact with visiting performers in masterclasses, audition workshops and lectures.

“Chris Martin’s performance is just one more way the McKnight Center is fulfilling its mission to create a space in which the arts can thrive,” said Blakeman.

The April 18 performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the OSU Seretean Center Concert Hall.

Tickets to the performance are $10 and are now available at mcknightcenter.org/events/chrismartin.