The new BTS recording, Fanfare, will be aired in the USA on 14 May 2012 at 7:00 PM ET on WWUH, the radio station of the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. Listeners outside of Hartford area can tune in to the live stream of the broadcast at http://www.wwuh.org, presented by Keith Barrett, the host of Drake's Village Brass Band every Monday evening from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET.

British Summer Time is 5 hours ahead of US Eastern Time (ET). This broadcast will therefore start at 12:00 AM on 15 May.

Fanfare is available to purchase online in CD and MP3 format.

Hot on the heels of his colleague Jeremy Wilson, Ian Bousfield, principal trombone of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Opera, has announced his decision to resign his first trombone chair and concentrate on solo performance and conducting. With the pressures of performing in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which doubles as the orchestra for the Vienna State Opera, he has found it increasingly difficult to set aside time for personal practice, teaching and conducting, all of which he finds important and incompatible with the demands of his current position. Announcing the news on his website, Ian states:

The fact of the matter is that I simply have not had a life now for many years. I’ve been living a double life – one as 1st trombone of the Vienna Philharmonic and one on the road as a soloist and teacher. Not only is it becoming bad for my health, and not only does it mean that I don’t have time for the loved ones around me, but I don’t get the feeling that I give of my best wherever I am when I am stretched so thinly. I have not consistently practised now for over 10 years, which might surprise a few of you! I have reached the point where I cannot go on any longer with four days’ preparation time for important solo concerts. I am under no illusions that I’m going to be a world-famous soloist or conductor – this is simply a decision to spend my life doing what is important to me and with the people who are important to me. Whilst wishing for a quieter life, I just hope that I get enough opportunity to play, as even after all of these years I still wake up in the morning feeling like the luckiest man in the world, because I get to play the trombone.

We wish Ian well on his next venture and for the upcoming Summer Course in Solothurn, Switzerland.

The BTS 2012 Don Lusher Competition finalists have been announced. Stephanie Waite, and Kieran McLeod, who are both students at the Royal Academy of Music, and Tom Dunnett, who is at the Birmingham Conservatoire, were chosen from a very strong field of young players. The three finalists will be competing in the final round of the competition at the National Trombone Festival in Cardiff on Sunday 27 May 2012 at 1.00pm.

The two works chosen to display the lyrical style that Don Lusher used to such good effect are Londonderry Air and Swinging Down the Alley. Bill Geldard, one of the three judges along with Gordon Campbell and Steve Sykes (the previous winner), has made arrangements for solo trombone and brass band. These will be performed at the final concert by the competition winner, accompanied by the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Brass Band.

In addition to this performance, the winner receives a top-of-the-range Yamaha trombone, generously donatedby Yamaha Instruments, the Don Lusher Competition plaque, and a chance to play at a BTS event during 2012-2013. The prizes will be once again presented to the winner by Diana Lusher, Don's widow.