Meet trumpet players Léo Wouters and Andreu Vidal Siquier
Interview
Between anecdotes, camaraderie, and a shared passion for music, trumpeters Andreu Vidal Siquier and Leo Wouters share their early beginnings and the memorable concerts that have shaped their distinct careers. In this joint interview, they reveal what makes them tick both on stage and off, along with their excitement for the upcoming concert on 28 March with the legendary Wynton Marsalis.
What is your musical background?
Leo Wouters: I started playing the trumpet at age seven with my grandfather, who conducted the local wind band. He taught me both trumpet and music theory, and I soon joined his wind band. When I turned 14, I enrolled at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven, and later received my higher education degree in trumpet and chamber music. My career then led me to the Beethoven Academie with Jan Caeyers, in Antwerp. It was a fantastic experience to play in this chamber orchestra (formerly known as the Nieuw Belgisch Kamerorkest), but I missed performing the larger symphonic works. So I auditioned for the Belgian National Orchestra in 1995, I passed and became first trumpet and later principal trumpet (section leader). Next year, I’ll be celebrating 30 years here!
Andreu Vidal Siquier: I don't come from a musical family, but my parents encouraged my brother and me to pursue music when they saw our interest. We started at around four years old, and later we attended a music academy in Spain. Initially, I was interested in composing and conducting but eventually, I chose to focus on the trumpet. I did my bachelor’s in the Basque Country in northern Spain with Luis Gonzalez and Alfonso Gonzalez, before going to Amsterdam to study with Omar Tomasoni and Miroslav Petkov. I completed my master’s degree there, followed by an additional year focusing only on baroque trumpet with Nicolas Isabelle, which actually taught me a lot about the modern and baroque trumpet. And in February 2023, I won the audition at the Belgian National Orchestra – and here I am!
Why did you choose the trumpet?
A.V.S.: I actually started with the E-flat clarinet when I was around six, during one or two years. But when it was time to enter a more formal music school, I switched to the trumpet – I’m not sure why, but I did.
L.W.: For me, it was because of my grandfather: I heard him play the trumpet and I was determined to play it, too. My grandmother wasn’t keen at first, saying one trumpet player in the family was enough, but I insisted!
Wynton Marsalis is a legend – playing with him will be like playing football with Messi!
On 28 March, the Belgian National Orchestra will perform with Nicola Benedetti, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz Lincoln Center Orchestra. What can you tell us about this famous trumpet player and his ensemble?
L.W.: Marsalis received his first trumpet at six years old from Al Hirt, a famous jazz player. His father, Ellis Marsalis, was also a jazz musician, so he was surrounded by music from a very early age. He went to the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and he went on to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York. His career quickly took off, and at 22 he became the first and only artist to win a Grammy Award in both the classical and jazz categories in the same year – and he did that twice! He is also a composer with a large body of works, encompassing jazz and classical pieces. Marsalis has also done much to make jazz known worldwide as an educator, and he co-founded the Jazz at Lincoln Center. So he is undeniably a very significant figure in both classical and jazz worlds as a trumpet player, composer and educator.
A.V.S.: I think he’s maybe the biggest legend who is still performing today. He can play both jazz and classical at an incredibly high level. Playing with him will be like playing football with Messi!
The programme includes the Belgian premieres of Marsalis’ Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 4 “The Jungle”. What does this programme inspire in you?
L.W.: We don’t usually play that style. It’s different from what we usually do, so it will be both inspiring and challenging to play for the orchestra. There are many jazz influences in the two works. It’s a blend of both genres, but it stays very tonal. It’s not overly modern; it doesn’t sound “strange”. It sounds pretty good! And it will be interesting to see the contrast between the jazz band in the middle the orchestra and our more symphonic style.
Which concerts are you most looking forward to in the coming months?
A.V.S.: I think it will be fun for trumpet players, as we have many exciting pieces coming up, like Ravel’s Concerto in G on 7 February, which starts with a trumpet solo, and in the same concert, La Mer by Debussy, which is also very nice. We are also playing Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony on 21 and 23 February, with great trumpet parts, and Mahler’s Eighth Symphony together with La Monnaie in March. Playing Mahler’s Eighth doesn’t happen many times in a career; it’s a huge piece with many, many people on stage. It’s the highlight of the season!
L.W.: I have never played Mahler’s Eighth either, so I’m really looking forward to it! The wind section is massive, with eight trumpets and just as many horns. Not to mention the choirs! I have played all the Mahler symphonies except for this one. As for Shostakovich’s Fifth, I think I’ve played it maybe 20 times by now.
What piece would you like to play with the Belgian National Orchestra someday?
A.V.S.: Scheherazade, but we’ll actually perform it on 12 April, so that’s exciting!
Which concert has left the biggest impression on you so far?
L.W.: My first year at the BNO was full of memorable experiences. I remember playing Mahler’s Fifth, which left a huge impression on me because it starts with a trumpet solo – a bit nerve-wracking when you’re just starting! That same year, I also performed Bartók’s Concerto for orchestra and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. So it was an intense start, but everything went well.
A.V.S.: I remember my first concert with the Belgian National Orchestra very well: we played Mendelssohn’s Fifth Symphony with Michael Schønwandt. It’s such a beautiful symphony, and I have a very fond memory of it.
Do you have any musical “guilty pleasures”?
L.W.: I’m a big fan of funk music, like Tower of Power. They have a wind section with singers and great arrangements. I used to play in a big band as the lead trumpet, and I also studied with Bert Joris, so yeah, I really enjoy funk music.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A.V.S.: I love cycling. And whenever I have a free week, I like to go back to Mallorca to spend time with my family. Those are my two favourite things to do outside the orchestra.
L.W.: I enjoy working with computers. I sometimes play in a wind band in which my wife and my son also play, and they send me concert recordings that I mix and edit. Working on audio is part of my work, so I apply those skills in my free time. If I hadn’t become a trumpet player, I might have pursued a career with computers. One became my job, and the other my hobby.
How would you describe each other?
A.V.S.: For me, Leo is the perfect colleague: he's the kind of colleague anyone would want next to them. He’s always honest and always tells me the truth; I trust him completely. Working with him in the orchestra has taught me so much. He's an example, not only professionally but also personally.
L.W.: Andreu is a very nice guy to work with: he's very kind and has a helpful personality. We support each other and I think it’s essential. And he’s a sweet guy, both literally and figuratively: he has a sweet tooth and loves to eat, just like me! That's probably why we understand each other so well! (laughs)