Joe Burgstaller

Trumpeter JOE BURGSTALLER has performed and taught in 48 states, 21 countries and hundreds of cities throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, has performed and taught at over 70 universities, conservatories and colleges around the world, made numerable national television and radio appearances, performed with many orchestras and has an extensive discography. He tours extensively as a member of Canadian Brass, as a soloist in recital and with orchestra, and as a clinician and teacher, traveling the world over 200 days every year. Joe teaches trumpet and chamber music at Peabody Institute (Distinguished Faculty), teaches every summer at the Music Academy of the West, and is in his second decade as a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Joe joined Canadian Brass in 2001, and with them tours worldwide, performing in recital and with orchestra (Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Seattle, et al.) and contributes arrangements to the group as well. Recent recordings with the Brass include a Juno-nominated release, Magic Horn, (AllMusicGuide.com heralded Joe's "superb set of arrangements" of the Tango-Neuvo music of Astor Piazzolla), BACH (including his pyrotechnical arrangement of the Bach-Vivaldi Concerto in D), and High Society ("[Burgstaller's piccolo] playing throughout this album is no less than perfect and in fact there were times when I had to pinch myself for thinking that I heard a high clarinet!" - Brass Herald Magazine), which reached #3 on Billboard's classical charts.

Prior to joining the Brass, Joe was North America's busiest trumpet recitalist, performing over 50 solo concerts every season with his Joe Burgstaller: The Rafael Méndez Project. He was one of the all-time most popular soloists at Community Concerts (a network boasting Jascha Heifetz and Van Cliburn as alumni). As a Yamaha Artist and Clinician, he reached thousands of students every season, and The Instrumentalist Magazine ran a feature article on Joe titled "The Next Méndez". Dr. Robert Méndez, son of the legendary trumpeter Rafael Méndez, wrote of Joe: "He's mastered my father's works."

Joe is a former member of New York City's Meridian Arts Ensemble, and with that group performed worldwide at concert halls and clubs including NYC's Knitting Factory and CBGB's, and Amsterdam's Bimhuis, received the ASCAP "Adventurous Programming Award" (shared with the Kronos Quartet) and recorded several of his own compositions and arrangements. Gramophone Magazine heralded Joe's original work Lullaby as "an understated gem."

Joe began the cornet at age six, by twelve was improvising jazz and soloing with area bands and jazz clubs, and by fifteen was the youngest professional in the Virginia Opera Orchestra. He received both his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Arizona State University (studying with Regents’ Professor David Hickman). Joe was awarded Arizona State University's Inaugural "Distinguished Alumnus Award", and the Inaugural "Outstanding Alumnus Award" from Eastern Music Festival.