At age 78, trumpeter and radio host Mick Hesse remains a driving force in Farmington’s music scene, blending decades of performance, teaching and organizing into a career he says reached its peak in the Four Corners. “It’s interesting to me that the apex of my musical career happened in Farmington,” he said. “And of course without an audience it’s all just a rehearsal.”
Hesse’s path has taken him from rural New York to the Eastman School of Music, the West Point Band, Norway’s Opera and Ballet Orchestra and even a hot-air balloon business before settling in Farmington in 1991. Since then, he has helped build opportunities for local musicians through ensembles, concert series and his long-running KSJE program Roving with the Arts.
Born in Springville near Buffalo, Hesse took up trumpet early in a town with a strong music program and teachers who encouraged him. Fortunately the small, rural town had a top-notch music department and, fortuitously, every band leader he had was a trumpeter.
Although he played football and baseball in high school, weekly trumpet lessons fueled his passion for playing music.
After graduating from the Eastman School of Music in 1969, he joined the West Point Band during the Vietnam era, a move that allowed him to continue performing while fulfilling military service. He later taught at a private K‑12 school in New York before an unexpected opportunity took him overseas.
A connection through his wife led the couple to teaching jobs in Oslo, Norway, where Hesse played in the local symphony. There, he met Harry Kvabek, principal trumpet of the Oslo Philharmonic, who became a pivotal mentor. Kvabek “turned me around,” Hesse said.
Hesse took lessons from Kvabek, who he called “the most influential teacher I’ve ever had” and “absolutely the most talented trumpet player I’d ever heard.”
Hesse said Kvabek inspiring him to audition for the Norwegian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. He earned the job and spent about 12 years performing, teaching and refining his craft.
While in Norway, Hesse and Julia had a daughter, Celina, who now lives in Norway.
After returning to the United States, Hesse started and operated a commercial hot-air balloon business while continuing to perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic.
“I loved hot air balloons, so I got a commercial license and started a business of rides from Letchworth State Park, known as the Grand Canyon of the East,” Hesse said.
In 1991, he and his wife Julia moved to the Four Corners when she accepted a teaching position in Shiprock. Hesse soon joined the San Juan Symphony and began teaching private lessons, reconnecting with what he called “the serious side of music.”
With few organized outlets for trained musicians at the time, Hesse focused on building a stronger musical community. “One of my intentions was to present and find ways for local musicians to find an outlet for their talents and dedication to music,” he said. He organized concerts, created ensembles and worked to raise awareness of the talent already present in the region.
In 1995, he formed Brass Works Four, a chamber ensemble that performed community concert series around the country for a decade. He later co-led Showcase Concerts with Connie Schultz, producing monthly performances featuring local musicians. “If you find the right people, you don’t need to rehearse a whole lot,” he said, noting that the musicians were paid through grants and community support.
Hesse took over Roving with the Arts on KSJE around 2005, curating classical recordings and offering musical and historical context. He increasingly relies on live performances available online. “Oh, it’s unbelievable what’s on YouTube,” he said. “When it’s live, it’s live.”
On his radio show, you can hear both the eclectic, such as American composer Alan Hovhaness, who wrote the inventive “The Unanswered Question,” which Hesses said is his effort to answer the question “what’s life all about,” and the work of Gustav Mahler, who Hesse said is “one of the best brass composers.”
Hesse credits many local musicians – including James Golden, Delbert Anderson, Julia Thom, Connie Schulz, Paul Bara, Scott Ramsey, Hoyle Osborne and Jane Voss – for shaping his success and strengthening Farmington’s musical landscape.
His goal, he said, has always been to “sell” music by presenting the highest levels of musicianship.
More than three decades after arriving in Farmington, Hesse remains active with the Kissmah Brass Band and continues to champion the arts across San Juan County.
His journey, marked by serendipity, mentorship and a lifelong devotion to the trumpet, has led him to a community where his work, he says, has truly flourished.