William Joseph Takacs is the principal trumpet

Trumpet

The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...

 of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra and trumpet instructor at West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...

.

Early life and education

Takacs was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, about miles west of Philadelphia. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . West Chester was ranked 69th in the Master's Universities ...

 in 1995, his Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...

, 1998, with the thesis An Examination of Gustav Mahler's Life and Fifth Symphony, with a Focus on the Trumpet Part, and his Doctorate of Music from Florida State University

Florida State University

The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...

 in 2003, with the dissertation Russian Trumpet Music - An Analysis of Concerti by Oskar Böhme, Eino Tamberg, and Sergeï Wassilenko.

Awards

Takacs won the 1999 National Trumpet Competition

National Trumpet Competition

The National Trumpet Competition is an annual competition held at George Mason University. Trumpeters from all over the country come to George Mason around mid March to duke it out for the title of Best Trumpeter in their division.- The Instrument :...

 at George Mason University

George Mason University

George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...

 in Washington D.C., and was one of five semifinalists in the 2000 Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Competition held in Bad Säckingen

Bad Säckingen

Bad Säckingen is a rural town in the administrative district of Waldshut in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is famous as the "Trumpeteer's City" because of the book "The Trumpeteer of Säckingen", a famous 19th century novel by German author Joseph Victor von Scheffel.- Geography :Bad...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, sponsored by the International Trumpet Guild

International Trumpet Guild

The International Trumpet Guild is a group of about 6000 trumpet players from around the world. Four journals are sent out every year to all members along with occasional instructional and practice items . The ITG hosts many competitions and conferences for trumpet players of all levels and...

.

Performances and associations

He has made guest performance appearances with the Toledo, Ohio

Toledo, Ohio

Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...

, Pensacola

Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...

, and Tallahassee Symphony Orchestras and has performed across the United States, Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. He performed as guest principal trumpet for the New Sigmund Romberg Orchestra's 1999 performance tour of Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Trujillo (Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

). He has also appeared in various capacities at institutions including Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....

, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

University of Wisconsin-River Falls

The University of Wisconsin–River Falls is a liberal arts undergraduate and graduate university and a member of the University of Wisconsin System. UW–River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin on the famed trout fishing Kinnickinnic River. The campus consists of 32 major buildings, ten of...

, Valdosta State University

Valdosta State University

Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...

, Stetson University

Stetson University

Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...

, University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

, and the Conservatorio Regional de Música de Trujillo (Peru).

Takacs was associated with Iowa-based chamber ensemble Skyline Brass, circa 1999. He is an active member of the International Trumpet Guild and an Artist/Clinician for Edwards Trumpets.

External links

• Takacs WTAMU Home Page
• Edwards Trumpets William Takacs Page
• Skyline Brass ensemble
• Russian Trumpet Music - An Analysis of Concerti by Oskar Böhme, Eino Tamberg, and Sergeï Wassilenko Florida State University dissertation online, in PDF format