Hi everyone! I am excited to share that I am completing my Honors College Capstone this year.

For my project, I will be recording an album comprised of solo works for trumpet and piano composed by women. Female composers, especially for brass music, are underperformed and not yet a part of the standard repertoire for my instrument. As a trumpet player, I have never performed a solo work for an audition, jury, or concert that was written by a woman. This is why I have programmed exclusively female-composed works for my senior recital and this album.

Because the recognition of female composers has only recently become regular practice, there is a disparity in the availability of professional recordings of these works. When I approach picking solo music to perform, finding a recording to listen to is a crucial part of my process. The works I will feature on my album do not have recordings available on music streaming services, and I believe that this contributes to these works being underperformed.

Another crucial part of my project is the range in difficulty of these solo works. I have chosen to record three pieces that range from beginner/intermediate to advanced/professional. This way, trumpet students as young as middle and high school can be performing female-composed works.

I am asking for $3,000 to support the recording studio rental, mixing engineer, piano accompaniment, and distribution fees. I have received generous scholarships from the Rutgers Honors College and the Mason Gross Student Governing Association, but because of the professional level of this album, the production costs exceed the support I have received so far.

I appreciate any support and I encourage you to share this page, especially with those who may resonate with my project’s mission.

Thank you!

Julia Guarnaccia