WCU trumpeter to hit the big stage

He will be joined by members of the trumpet sections from the premier military bands of Washington, D.C. for this event. Only 10 civilians from across the United States were selected through a video audition for this opportunity.

The ceremony will showcase the illumination of “A Soldier’s Journey,” a 60-foot-long bronze sculpture that is the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. 

The event is set to take place at the National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC at 7:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13. 

The 20 trumpet players, dressed in World War I American uniforms, will open the ceremony with a fanfare composed specifically for the event by Jari Villanueva.

For those interested, registration for livestreaming of the ceremony is available at the following link: www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php?option=com_rsform&view=rsform&formId=63.

In addition to his role as a professional trumpet performer and educator  Ulrich is an enthusiastic amateur historian and collector of World War I memorabilia. He has visited the battlefields of Belgium and France numerous times and has participated in many Armistice commemorations. 

This year, he will complete his final 80 performances at Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries as part of his tribute to the soldiers buried in the Ypres Salient of Flanders. (https://buglesacrossflanders.wcu.edu).