Langston J. Fitzgerald III

Dr. Langston J. Fitzgerald III played trumpet with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1970 to 2003. Fitzgerald, a past winner of the John F.Kennedy Center Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award, has played also played with the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., and served as assistant principal trumpet with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. For the past 27 years, he has been principal trumpet and musical contractor of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society Orchestra (www.baltimorechoralarts.org). Professor Fitzgerald performed as principal trumpet of the Baltimore Opera Orchestra from 2003 until the company closed its doors in 2009.

Fitzgerald performed the Haydn trumpet concerto on the Baltimore Choral Arts Society's TOUR de France in Paris and Southern France. His 2005 appearance at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Bangkok, Thailand not only featured him as trumpet soloist and chamber performer but also as conductor of the trumpet ensemble "en masse" which concluded the conference—a tradition that has continued to prevail. He performed the world premiere of "Down a River of Time" by Eric Ewazen at the 35th International Trumpet Guild Conference in Sydney, Australia. He also performed the U.S. premiere of the work in his 2010 Penn State faculty recital with the composer at the piano.

Fitzgerald performs with the Penn State faculty brass quintet,The Pennsylvania BrassWorks (WPSU TV/FM). In addition, he is first trumpet and founder of both the Giovanni and the Potomac brass quintets. His freelance work in Baltimore and Washington has included performances at three presidential inaugurations and three "Christmas in Washington" nationally televised specials. He helped to contract and played co-principal trumpet at the nationally televised Millennium celebration at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining the Penn State faculty, Fitzgerald taught trumpet at Catholic University (1990-2003). He also taught at the Peabody Conservatory of Music from 1990 to 2005 (including three years while he was on the Penn State faculty). He was lecturer at the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland. Fitzgerald served as assistant professor of trumpet, coordinator of the brass department, and orchestra conductor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., from 1970 until 1976. He has also taught trumpet at such schools as Morgan State University, the Duke Ellington High School for the Performing Arts, University of Maryland at Baltimore County, University of the District of Columbia, Towson State University, and Western Maryland College.

Professor Fitzgerald has several former students who have won positions in major symphony orchestras, including Tage Larsen, fourth trumpet, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Billy Hunter, principal trumpet, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City; Thomas Hooten, principal trumpet, Atlanta Symphony; and Andrew Wilson, solo cornet/trumpet, United States Air Force Band, Washington, D.C. In addition to preparing many of his students for performing careers, Fitzgerald has had numerous students pursue the degrees of Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance.

Dr. Fitzgerald is a graduate of Howard University (B.M.E.) and Catholic University of America (M.M. and D.M.A). He is a member of the International Trumpet Guild, and is a founding and honorary member of the Board of Directors of the International Women's Brass Conference. Fitzgerald is also a member of the American Federation of Musicians in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

• BME from Howard University
• MM from Catholic University
• DMA Catholic University

• Trumpet