The link between composers and performers is often missing. Quite often, performers are reluctant to directly contact composers but in the case of a trombonist's letter to Pulitzer Prize winning composer John LaMontaine, extraordinary events followed.

The discovery of a trombone quartet by Mr. LaMontaine was unearthed through research into chamber repertoire for trombone. In contacting the composer, it came to light that he had indeed written--but never published--a quartet for trombones. Given the limited repertoire for this instrumentation, the addition of this work is significant. In collaboration with the composer, the editing and premier performance of a new version of John LaMontaine's Trombone Quartet took place in July 2005, but what followed was even more unexpected.  Over the following year, in close contact with the composer, two new works for trombone have been created: one unaccompanied and the other scored for trombone, percussion and computer-generated sound.

This paper will present an introduction to and overview of John LaMontaine's chamber works for trombone through live performance, audio recordings and score examples. Using this as a point of departure, discussion will also include the extraordinary process of building bridges between performers and composers in the creation, development, editing and performance of new compositions.