Francisco Pérez

At 16 I become a member of the Youth National Orchestra from Spain, and also obtained my Professor Diploma (At 16 years old!!!). I played with many orchestras such as Fine Arts Sinfonia (London, U.K.) and I was Principal at Alicante Symphony Orchestra (1.996-2.000). Also I was enganged by Universal Studios as trumpet player for some gigs and recordings with some Dixie bands and with Big Bands (it was an amazing experience).

I tryed to go out of Spain to play in other orchestras and I gained the principal position in Sinaloa State Symphony (Mexico), but at the same time I was invited to make an audition to Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester and also at Chicago Symphony Orchestra -Principal Position- in 2.003 and 2.004.

There is one thing I want to say: in 1.993 I was playing the audition for the Young National Orchestra of Spain in Madrid. That night a wonderfull thing happened: Chicago Symphony was playing at the same auditorium I was playing few hours before. I heard the concert and also I met Adolph "Bud" Herseth. I thought he is a very charismatic trumpet player, but a really nice guy. The first time I was invited to auditioning at C.S.O. I felt that one era was finished. After I experienced some trouble with my teeth and I prefered to start another career making trumpets, wich was my hobby at that time.

I ever admired good hand work. Talking about modern trumpets I loved the works of Domenic Calicchio, Jerome Callet, Eldon Benge, Zignant Kanstul, Karl Schagerl, Johann Scherzer and, of course, Renold Schilke, among others. All those make the best trumpets I ever played, but I was more interested in making replicas of historical instruments. I like to work as they did 400 years ago.

I ever loved historic instruments so, then I thought, Why not to try to make natural trumpets? Then I made a lot of prototypes, studied old making methods, asked to the best makers. Some of them were kind and they helped me to make good trumpets.

That's all my history. Now I have a little workshop in my house and I work as they did 400 years ago, with the same tools and also with the same feel of satisfaction when a trumpet is finished.