Dr. Raul Sosa Ornelas, professor of music at Lamar University and an internationally known trumpet virtuoso and arranger, died early Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas. He was 66. Dr. Ornelas had undergone surgery after having been recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m. Monday, September 8, 2008 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. Cremation will follow at Broussard’s Crematorium. A gathering of his family and friends will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Sunday, September 7, 2008 at the Mortuary.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Ornelas of Beaumont; daughters, Dawn Michalewicz and her husband Charles of College Station, Arban Severin and her husband Steven of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Dr. Jocylen Glassberg and her husband Dr. Eric Glassberg of Belton; grandsons, Cage, Garrison and Jace; mother, Josephina Ornelas of Corpus Christi; sisters, Olivia Cooper of Spokane, Washington and Rosa Ornelas of Corpus Christi; and brothers, Bernardo Ornelas of Corpus Christi, Ricardo Ornelas of San Antonio and Rodolfo Ornelas of Corpus Christi.
His son, André Ornelas; brother, Antonio Ornelas, Jr.; and sister, Josephina Obregon preceded him in death.
Dr. Ornelas taught and mentored generations of trumpet students who have gone on to national prominence as performers and teachers.
A Lamar faculty member since 1972, Dr. Ornelas taught trumpet and music theory. He performed with area and regional symphony orchestras, traveled internationally with Keith Brion and the New Sousa Band and was a leader in organizations for trumpet performers and educators, as well as a distinguished arranger of music.
His talents on electric bass as well as on trumpet graced area stages for more than four decades, in performances ranging from scores of concerts with the Symphony of Southeast Texas (formerly the Beaumont Symphony Orchestra) to Liberty Fest Concerts at Riverfront Park.
Raul Sosa Ornelas was born November 6, 1941, in Corpus Christi. He earned the bachelor of music degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1965, master of music degree from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1972 and doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1986. Dr. Ornelas began his teaching career in 1964 as band director at McArthur Junior High School in Beaumont and later taught and directed the band at Central Junior High in Nederland.
Dr. Ornelas was featured with the Jimmy Simmons Band August 23rd at the 2008 Beaumont Jazz + Blues Jazz Fest at the Jefferson Theatre – his last performance – and with the Lamar Brass Quintet in the traditional opening to Lamar’s annual convocation August 20th. He conducted the Lamar Brass Ensemble at summer commencement August 16th.
For many years, Dr. Ornelas performed on first trumpet with the Lamar Brass Quintet – a group he founded. He had been an audience favorite at Lamarissimo! concerts since the series’ inception in 1990, frequently coordinating the faculty artists’ performance as well as taking the stage with the Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band. Dr. Ornelas was principal trumpet with the Symphony of Southeast Texas and performed with the Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, Meridian and Rapides symphony orchestras.
Dr. Ornelas was an active member of the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) for many years. In 1987, he served as chairman of the guild’s jazz competition, and, in 1988, he chaired a five-member committee to elect guild officers. He also served as chairman of the International Trumpet Guild Scholarship Competition in 1994. He performed at several ITG conferences throughout the country, most recently in Evansville, Indiana. The Lamar Trumpet Ensemble performed at three guild conferences – in 1988 at the University of North Texas in Denton, in 1993 at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, and in 2001 at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana.
His arrangements were sought after for publications and in performances. These include “The Ceremonial Book for Brass Quintet,” published by Northeastern Music Publications in 2006, and brass quintet arrangements submitted for pending publications by Northeastern Music. Other arrangements were featured at Lamarissimo! concerts, at Lamar commencement ceremonies and in music performed by diverse ensembles.
Dr. Ornelas performed with the New Sousa Band on more than a dozen tours, the most recent to Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, in February 2008. Other tours, beginning in 2002, took him to Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Carolina, Washington State, Iowa and Illinois, as well as to Corpus Christi, Port Arthur and Beaumont. He frequently returned to his native Corpus Christi to perform at the Texas Jazz Festival.
He accompanied such performers as Johnny Mathis, the Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Tommy Tune and Joan Rivers. Beginning in 2002, he performed at the Entergy Museum of Southeast Texas’ annual Spindletop Blowout. He was featured on campus at faculty recitals, LU-llaby of Broadway, Cardinal Lights, convocations and in dozens of other venues.
Off-campus educational contributions include the Side-by-Side clinics for high school musicians, sponsored by the Symphony of Southeast Texas; music lectures presented by him and Simmons; and state and regional University Interscholastic League clinics.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you give the gift of music through a scholarship established in Dr. Ornelas’ memory to the Dr. Raul Ornelas Scholarship, Lamar University Foundation, P.O. Box 11500, Beaumont, Texas 77710 or by calling the foundation at (409) 880-2117.
Complete and updated information may be viewed at www.broussardsmortuary.com.
