[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 185 (Thursday, December 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO WESTON SPROTT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS-

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2009

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Weston 
Sprott who was appointed second trombone of the Metropolitan Opera 
Orchestra in the Spring of 2005.
  Mr. Sprott attended Indiana University before completing his Bachelor 
of Music degree at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. While 
a student at Curtis, Mr. Sprott held the positions of principal 
trombone in the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra (Philadelphia) and the 
Deleware Symphony Orchestra. He was the founding member of the Texas 
Trombone Octet, a group that won the Emory Remington competition and 
was featured in concert at the International Trombone Festival in 
Helsinki, Finland.
  Mr. Sprott has worked under the baton of many of the world's great 
conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Lorin 
Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Andre Previn and numerous others. Mr. 
Sprott was recently featured in the documentary film ``A Wayfarer's 
Journey: Listening to Mahler'' with actor Richard Dreyfuss and actress 
Kathleen Chalfant. He was also a performer in the film ``Rittenhouse 
Square,'' a documentary under the direction of Robert Downey that 
played in major film festivals throughout the United States to critical 
acclaim. In September 2007, Mr. Sprott made his Carnegie Hall solo 
debut performing Lars Erik-Larsson's concertino in Weill Recital Hall 
at the invitation of the Bulgarian Consulate. Other engagements have 
led to performances with gospel and jazz artists such as Branford 
Marsalis, Take 6 and Donnie McClurkin. Mr. Sprott's performances and 
interviews have been seen and heard on various TV and radio shows such 
as: PBS' Great Performances, NPR's Performance Today, and Sirius 
Satellite Radio.
  In demand as a soloist and master class clinician, Mr. Sprott has 
been a featured guest artist at several of America's leading 
conservatories and universities. He is currently on the faculty at the 
Purchase College Conservatory and Julliard's Music Advancement Program, 
and he previously served on the faculty of The New School University, a 
division of the Mannes School of Music in New York City. Weston Sprott 
is an artist/clinician for the Edwards Instrument Company and Music. He 
performs exclusively on Edwards's trombones and Greg Black mouthpieces.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. 
Weston Sprott.

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