Department of Music Students Winners of Competition Scholarships

Department of Music students Avery Longing and Jack Lockhart have won 2026 International Trumpet Guild Conference scholarships as part of the Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition. This prestigious competition required them to submit recordings that were judged by an anonymous panel. Longing performed Sonata for Trumpet and Piano by Kent Kennan, and Lockhart performed Concerto for Trumpet by Oscar Böhme. 

Rich Rulli, associate professor of trumpet in the Department of Music, says winning an award in this competition is a prestigious achievement for any trumpet student. "I am very proud of these two dedicated students," says. "This honor is a testament to their hard work, not only this year, but long-term throughout their undergraduate careers at Arkansas. They are both role models in the trumpet studio and have bright futures ahead."

Longing is a sophomore music education and trumpet performance double major. At Har-Ber High School, in Springdale, she was a member of Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, qualified for All-State Band for two years and won the Outstanding Sophomore Award, the John Philip Sousa award and the Outstanding Jazz Musician Award. At the U of A, she is member of Wind Ensemble, Stellar Brass and the U of A Trumpet Ensemble. 

Lockhart is a junior trumpet performance and supply chain management major. At Bentonville High School, he performed as a member of the Wind & Jazz Ensembles, as well as the NWA Jazz All-Star Youth Ensemble. At the U of A, Lockhart has performed with the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Combo and Trumpet Ensemble. In Northwest Arkansas, he has also played with NWA Jazz and More Big Band and the Fayetteville Jazz Collective. 

For this honor, Longing and Lockhart each won a cash award and free registration to the 2026 International Trumpet Guild Conference, May 26-30, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. They will participate in conference presentations and master classes, and hear amazing trumpet artists throughout the week. It will also give them an opportunity to network with other students and professionals from around the country and world as part of the larger trumpet-playing fraternity.