Brass students in the School of Music study individually with a full-time professor on their instrument and participate in studio classes every week. Performance opportunities for brass students are numerous and include several large and small ensembles in classical, jazz, and commercial mediums. World-renowned visiting artists also enrich the curriculum each year and brass students get to work with those guest artists in a multitude of workshops, residencies, and master classes.
Click here for undergraduate and graduate brass audition guidelines.
Trumpet Studio
The trumpet studio at James Madison University is THE place to realize your dreams of a life in music and the creative arts. Whether interested in performance, jazz studies, composition, music industry, or music education, you can find your artistic home in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The trumpet studio is comprised of 28 music majors at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and all students have the opportunity to study with the studio professor, Dr. Carrillo.
JMU Trumpet Studio on Instagram
French Horn Studio
The JMU Horn Studio consists of both undergraduate and graduate music majors in the School of Music at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
These students major in several different degree program ranging from Music Performance and Music Education to Music Composition and Music Industry.
All horn majors perform with the excellent large ensembles at JMU, the JMU Horn Choir, and several different chamber groups including horn quartets, horn trios, brass and woodwind quintets, and mixed chamber ensembles. The studio is also active off-campus with performances in the Harrisonburg community, and has attended annual Southeast and Northeast Horn Workshop of the International Horn Society since 2009, and the International Horn Symposium in Memphis, TN.
Trombone Studio
Students in the JMU trombone studio have many opportunities to rehearse and perform in a variety of ensembles and solo settings
All trombone students participate in the JMU trombone choir. The ensemble utilizes alto trombones, tenor trombones, and bass trombones, specializing in music written for 6- to 16-part trombone choir. The trombone choir performs each year at the annual Tromblow’in event and has been featured at the Eastern Trombone Workshop (2013), International Trombone Festival (2001), the Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival (2014), and the American Trombone Workshop (2019).
JMU Trombone Association on Facebook
Tuba-Euphonium Studio
The JMU Tuba-Euphonium Studio is comprised of students from all across Virginia, as well as those from up and down the East Coast. Graduates of the studio have gone on to study at some of the top graduate programs in the country, including JMU. A large number of graduates now hold public school teaching positions throughout the state and throughout the eastern portion of the United States. Others enjoy such diverse careers as military band performers, studio musicians, recording engineers, record company executives and private studio instructors, as well as conductors, symphony orchestra personnel managers and university tuba-euphonium professors.
The focus of the studio is not just the development of competent tuba and euphonium players, but the development of successful musicians. Students mature musically through a wide variety of offerings and experiences including weekly private lessons, performance classes, repertoire classes, solo performances, chamber ensemble experiences and large ensemble participation.
JMU Brass Band
The JMU Brass Band is one of only a few collegiate brass bands in the United States. Formed in the Fall of 2000, the band has twice been named the North American Brass Band Association 1st Section Champion (2004, 2005) and was the 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2016 NABBA Championship Section Runner-up. The group maintains an active performance schedule throughout the academic year, performing regularly both on and off campus. The band was a featured ensemble at the 2006 Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Kentucky and both the 2004 and 2014 Virginia Music Educators Conference in Norfolk, Virginia. In the summer of 2008, the ensemble embarked on a concert tour of England and Wales sharing the stage with many outstanding bands including the No. 1 ranked brass band in the world, Cory Band. In 2009, the group became the first brass band to perform a full length concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Always interested in showcasing new repertoire, the band has given the North American premiere of a number of major works for brass band. The band is regularly ranked in the top 150 brass bands worldwide according to World of Brass/British Bandsman rankings.
The ensemble has been host to a number of guest artists including Steven Mead, euphonium; Sheona White, tenor horn; Vince DiMartino, trumpet; Allen Vizzutti, trumpet; Katrina Marzella, baritone; Richard Sebring, horn; Colin Williams, trombone; Chris Gekker, trumpet; David Childs, euphonium; Les Neish, tuba; Brett Baker, trombone; Glenn van Looy, euphonium; David Thornton, euphonium and Carol Jantsch, tuba.
In the summer of 2012, the JMU Brass Band was one of three featured brass bands performing at the 2012 International Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Linz, Austria. The band was also recognized in The Royal College of Music (RNCM) Brass Band Festival in Manchester, England in the winter of 2017, alongside prestigious bands such as the Cory Band and Black Dyke. The JMU Brass Band is the first brass band from the United States to be invited to the festival.
Chris Carrillo
Professor, Trumpet; Brass/Percussion Area Coordinator
Andrew Lankford
Professor, Trombone
Kevin J. Stees
Professor, Tuba and Euphonium; Director, JMU Brass Band
Ian Zook
Professor, Horn
John Abbracciamento
Instructor, Trumpet
