IF YOU GO:
Trevor Barroero Percussion Concert
Wednesday, March 22
7:30 p.m.
Crowder Hall, Fred Fox School of Music
University of Arizona
Free-will donation to benefit Alzheimer’s Association or online at http://act.alz.org/goto/trevorconcert ($20 suggested donation)
Flinn Scholar Trevor Barroero has played timpani, marimba and other percussion instruments around the United States, in Canada, and as far away as Moscow, winning gold medals and other awards along the way.
But on Wednesday, March 22, the Tucson native and University of Arizona senior will be in his own backyard as he leads a benefit concert of orchestral music on the UA campus featuring several Flinn Scholars on stage with him. The concert will be his final solo performance as a UA student before graduating in May with a Bachelor of Music in percussion performance.
The concert, titled, “…in loving memory,” begins at 7:30 p.m. in Crowder Hall in the Fred Fox School of Music. There is no admission, but donations will be accepted at the door or online at http://act.alz.org/goto/trevorconcert. The suggested donation is $20.
Barroero, whose grandmother died when he was a senior in high school, is hoping to raise $10,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.
“She struggled with Alzheimer’s for a long time, and I knew I would use my music as a tool to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research,” says Barroero, who is also dedicating the concert to his father, who died when Barroero was a child.
The first half of the concert will feature Barroero as a soloist, as the concert is one aspect of his honors thesis. The second half will be what the Class of 2012 Flinn Scholar described as unique collaborations with musicians he has met along his path, including fellow Scholars.
Sarah Bosch, a Class of 2013 Flinn Scholar, will be playing flute, and Scholar alum Katie Pabst, from the Class of 1995, will be playing the cello. Gus Woodrow-Tomizuka, from the Class of 2013, will be playing guitar with Barroero on the final piece.
“I figured this would be an opportunity for other Flinn Scholars to show their ‘hidden talent’ that people do not get to see all the time and give them an opportunity to perform music,” Barroero says.
There are other Scholar connections around the concert, as well. The catering for the post-concert reception is being donated by Class of 1992 Scholar alum Devon Sanner, executive chef at The Carriage House. And Barroero’s publicity photos were taken by Class of 2015 Scholar Alexandra Nguyen.
Barroero started playing drums in the fourth grade. His goal: to be in a rock band. He practiced on his snare drum and drum set for a year and a half to be a rock drummer. By middle school, he had started playing marimba, xylophone, and glockenspiel, and became involved and fell in love with orchestral music.
“What I love about percussion is, we have such a variety of instruments we are expected to play and have the option to play,” Barroero says.
Barroero has played more than 100 instruments, including a blender and light bulb, as he says percussionists are often called upon to create unique sound effects.
The Tucson native attended Ironwood Ridge High School in Oro Valley. While in high school, he attended the Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar.
Barroero, who practices six-to-eight hours a day in addition to his classwork, won first place at the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy’s concerto competition in British Columbia and was subsequently invited to be a guest timpanist with the Moscow Symphony in Russia in December. He has performed as a soloist with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Tucson Pops, the Civic Orchestra of Tucson, the University of Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra.
In addition, Barroero was a selected participant of the Aspen Music Festival for two consecutive summers. This month, he was in New Orleans, performing with the Louisiana Philharmonic.
The Flinn Scholars Program, which provides a comprehensive undergraduate package to an Arizona university for 20 Arizona high-school seniors each year, funded some of Barroero’s summer activities, including the competition he won in Canada as well as symphony classes in Washington, D.C.
“Flinn has opened doors for me as a musician and has allowed me to be at the right place at the right time,” Barroero says.
He plans to attend graduate school in the fall and pursue a Master of Music in percussion performance.
In the future, Barroero plans to do more composing in addition to performing. And one day, make a career out of his talent by playing in a professional orchestra.
By Brian Powell
Flinn Foundation