By Brenda Giannis
The “Vox Cor Trio”, founded in 2022, will close the 2025-26 concert series for the Fairmont Chamber Music Society on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Peter the Fisherman Church, 407 Jackson Street in downtown Fairmont. The trio is comprised of pianist and “Vox Cor” founder Mika Komura, trumpeter Dr. George Carpten IV, and trombonist David Roode.
Japanese pianist, Mika Komura is a versatile artist who internationally performs as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. She made her solo debut in Tokyo in 2007 and her concert debut in 2010 with George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania. Ms. Komura is very active as a chamber musician collaborating with trumpeter Ashley Hall-Tighe, trombonist Peter Ellefson, and bass trombonist John Rojak with whom she premiered the piano reduction of the Kenneth Fuchs Bass trombone concerto in 2019.
She has performed with string principals of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, mezzo soprano Catherine Keen and Grammy Award winner Michel Legrand on a tour of France and Denmark and has collaborated with principal players in various orchestras around the world and in the United States. In 2025, Ms. Kamura was the official pianist for the International Women’s Brass Conference in Hartford, Connecticut.
Trumpeter, Dr. George Carpten IV, was recently appointed as Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Penn State University. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, earned his Master of Music from The Pennsylvania State University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts in Trumpet Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
As a dedicated educator, Dr. Carpten presents masterclasses and solo recitals domestically and internationally. He also serves as guest faculty artist at the annual University of Kentucky Summer Trumpet Institute and Corfu International Trumpet Festival in Greece.
Dr. Carpten maintains an active performing schedule in both the orchestra and jazz commercial settings. He currently serves as Principal Trumpet in the Altoona Symphony and has performed extensively in symphonic and pops orchestras, including the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, jazz and brass ensembles, and for The Temptations, The Four Tops, and the American Wind Symphony. Dr. Carpten is an endorsing artist for Bach Trumpets and Greg Black Mouthpieces.
David Rood, trombonist, studied music at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Duquesne University, where he obtained his BA in Trombone Performance in 2001. He was the second trombonist with the Memphis Symphony and has been a frequent guest musician with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida. In 2007, Mr. Roode studied in the United Kingdom, where he completed a PG Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
After graduating from the Academy, he worked with many leading orchestras in Britain, Scotland, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, and Germany. Since returning to the United Kingdom, Mr. Rood has regularly worked with the various symphony orchestras in Ohio, New York, and South Carolina, including the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. His wife is the pianist of the Trio, Mika Komura, who together with her, provide masterclasses, lectures and recitals nationally and internationally.
David Rood is currently principal trombonist of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, an associate musician of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and second trombonist with the Des Moines Metro Opera, in addition to his performing with the “Vox Cor Trio”
This is the first time the “Vox Cor Trio” will be performing for the Fairmont Chamber Music Society audience. The concert is open to the public. Tickets are $12.00 for adults and $8.00 for seniors and students and are available for purchase by check, cash and/or credit card at the door.
St. Peter the Fisherman Church is ADA compliant. A reception follows the performance where the audience can meet with the artists. For more information call 304-366-1768 or visit fairmontchambermusic.org. Subscriptions for next season’s concert will also be available for purchase at this concert.
