Of Russia and rock 'n' roll: Cape native achieves goal in composition and rocking out

Steven Limbaugh III's plane landed in Los Angeles on Dec. 7 carrying a passenger that was riding high.

Limbaugh had just returned from a six-day trip to Russia, where the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra had recorded a 25-minute composition of his own making. The composer in him was feeling great, but the rock musician in him was worried.

Limbaugh was scheduled to play at the Hard Rock Cafe that night with his band The Vintage in a battle of the bands at 11 p.m. The 22-year-old Limbaugh plays trumpet and piano, while fellow Cape Girardeau native Ben Carter sings. His plane was scheduled to land at 7 p.m. -- if there were no delays, that is.

"The rest of the guys in the band had prepared a plan in case I was delayed," said Limbaugh. "They were going to play without me."

Lucky for Limbaugh, there were no delays, and the rock musician in him was satisfied with an accomplishment as great as the one the composer Limbaugh had achieved. The Vintage, a neoclassical rock band in the vein of Jet and Maroon 5, won the battle of the bands in Los Angeles and $3,000 to go along with it.

Musical success seems to come easily for this son of Missouri Supreme Court Justice Stephen Limbaugh Jr. and Marsha Limbaugh. That probably has a lot to do with his go-get-'em attitude and passion for music.

After attending the Interlochen music camp in the summer of 2000, Limbaugh dropped out of school before his senior year and got his GED so that he could immediately pursue a musical career. The camp was also where he discovered a love of music beyond just playing trumpet and piano.

"I auditioned at several conservatories and finally settled on the University of Missouri Kansas-City as a trumpet performance major," said Limbaugh. "What I couldn't ignore though was my passion for composition, so I decided to change majors from trumpet performance to musical composition."

Soon after Limbaugh transferred to California State Northridge, where he could study under Romanian composition professor Liviu Marinescu. Limbaugh soon received a $15,000 grant from a private donor to record a massive 25-minute composition, "Concerto for Brass and Orchestra."

He wanted an 100-piece orchestra for the recording, but couldn't afford the $50,000-$100,000 price tag. Instead Limbaugh did what many young composers do and used his Eastern European connection. Marinescu's brother Ovidiu is a conductor of the Russian Philharmonic and the economically depressed conditions in Eastern Europe mean those ensembles take less money for recordings. Limbaugh had found his orchestra.

Limbaugh arrived in Russia on Dec. 1. He only had six days to record a massive orchestral piece and do some sightseeing, but packed in all he could. He saw the sights of Red Square, the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral and got the chance to check out a concert at the Moscow Conservatory's Great Hall, where the statues of Russian musical greats line the auditorium. He draws his inspiration as a composer largely from those Russian and other Eastern European greats.

"I felt that was very surreal," said Limbaugh. "Not too many Americans have even been able to attend concerts at the Moscow Conservatory."

Before heading to Russia, Limbaugh had images of the myth and reality of the Cold War state in his mind -- a gray, uniform and lifeless place.

The truth was very different than those expectations. Limbaugh said he saw a place full of growth, youth and personal expression, far from the totalitarianism of Communist Russia.

"Standing there in Red Square I felt very proud, because I could see that we won the Cold War," said Limbaugh.

Now that he's won his own struggle to get his music recorded, Limbaugh will try to get his composition released on an American classical label, enter it in contests or get airplay. Limbaugh owns the exclusive rights to his composition.

"Hopefully one day I'll get paid for it or something," he said laughing.

But he doesn't even know what "Concerto" sounds like yet, since it was recorded in sections and is currently being edited.

What he does know is that after he graduates, hopefully in May, he won't immediately pursue the career of a composer. Instead, The Vintage is going on the road on a summer tour. Limbaugh wants to grab his chances while he's young.

"I can always go back and get a graduate degree, but I can't always get in a 12-seater van with five friends and play shows across the country," Limbaugh said.

msanders@semissourian.com

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