Professional Experiences Before CSO: Associate Principal Trumpet, New York Philharmonic, Assistant Principal Trumpet, Cleveland Orchestra, Professor of Trumpet, Northwestern University

What do you draw inspiration from as a musician: My life experiences shape how I think about music. Each time I perform in the orchestra or as a soloist should be a brand new experience.

Favorite orchestral work: There are too many favorites to list! However, I try to live by the words of pianist Emanuel Ax, who says that your favorite piece should be the one you’re playing at the moment.

Current playlist: Right now I’m listening to a lot of jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown and my teacher, Armando Ghitalla.

Favorite things to do in Cincinnati: Visit new restaurants in OTR and downtown, walk along the Banks, and host our family for Sunday dinners at home.

Hobbies: I love cars. I’ve owned several BMW, Porsche and VW high performance automobiles. I also love to cook, and enjoy learning about and tasting wine.

How can the Orchestra make the world a better place? We need to continue to bring great art to the community and the world by continuing the tradition of excellence this organization has strived for throughout its history. To do that, we need to engage the community and continue to expand our range of musical styles to be inclusive of our city and region. We also need to continue to affirm the excellence and uniqueness of our symphony by being an ambassador for Cincinnati through recording and touring.

Fun Fact: My degree at UM was conferred in 2012, although I was in the class of 1983. I didn’t finish my degree in ‘83, because I won a job. After a conversation with one of my children in 2011 over the value of education, I decided I should back up my words. I attended classes at UC, and transferred them to Michigan to complete my Bachelor of Music, Trumpet Performance degree.