Larry Zalkind, principal trombone for the Utah Symphony, has been appointed Associate Professor of Trombone at the Eastman School of Music beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year. He joins Associate Professor Mark Kellogg on Eastman’s trombone faculty and succeeds Professor John Marcellus, who is retiring after 36 years on the faculty.
While following a multi-faceted career as soloist, chamber musician, and teacher, Zalkind has held the Utah Symphony position since winning the audition in 1981. He has appeared as featured soloist with the Fairbanks Symphony, Southwest Symphony, the West Los Angeles Symphony, the Macon Symphony, the Central Oregon Symphony, and other ensembles including the New Sousa Band, the U.S. Army Orchestra, and the U.S. Army Band. He often premieres new orchestral works for solo trombone, including Henry Wolking’s Concerto for Trombone and Bill Reichenbach’s Streets of Paris, for trombone and wind ensemble. (Reichenbach, a trombonist and composer, received his Bachelor of Music degree at Eastman in 1971.)
“I am so pleased to be welcoming Larry Zalkind to the faculty of the Eastman School. His high standard of musicianship and enthusiasm for teaching will bring him great success here,” said Michael Burritt, chair of the Department of Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion. “It is important to recognize the outstanding service that John Marcellus has afforded Eastman for many years. With Larry Zalkind and Mark Kellogg at the helm, it truly honors John’s legacy of excellence and sets us apart as a destination for trombone studies throughout the world.”
Zalkind has toured, recorded, and performed since 1990 as a member of the Summit Brass, a group of more than a dozen top U.S. brass players. The summer of 2014 will mark his 33rd season as a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra.
Zalkind has released three solo CDs: Encore!, Larry Zalkind Plays Baroque Music for the Trombone, and Lost in the Stars, a collection of songs by Stephen Sondheim, Kurt Weil, and Leonard Bernstein. He also has recorded with Summit Brass and several orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the symphonies of Chicago, Atlanta, and St. Louis.
A faculty member at the University of Utah for 30 years, Zalkind has been a clinician in national and international workshops and festivals, including the International Trombone Association Trombone Festival and International Tuba-Euphonium Conference. He has served on the faculties of the Grand Teton Orchestral Seminar, Hartwick Summer Music Festival in New York, the Batiquitos Festival of the Arts in San Diego, and the Marrowstone Music Festival in Port Townsend, Wash. He also gives numerous master classes at conservatories and universities throughout the United States.
A Yamaha Arist, Zalkind worked with the corporation on the design of a new orchestral trombone, which he currently plays exclusively.
“Larry’s reputation as a respected soloist, chamber musician, orchestral performer and teacher is enviable and those experiences will inform all he does as a member of the Eastman faculty,” said Kellogg. “I look forward to collaborating with him as we carry forward the traditions of the Eastman trombone studio and Trombone Choir.”
Zalkind holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of Southern California, and did doctoral work at the University of Michigan.
Marcellus joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music in 1978. He is internationally known as a soloist for his performances and recordings as principal trombone of the National Symphony Orchestra and soloist with the United States Navy Band. He is a respected teacher and international recording artist whose students are found in major symphony orchestras and on the faculties of prestigious music schools. In 2011, Marcellus received the International Trombone Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for distinguished contributions to the profession and the Neill Humfeld Award for outstanding teaching. The ITA also recognized Marcellus in 1999 with its ITA Award for the highest level of creative and artistic output in areas such as performance, composition, arranging, teaching, conducting, research and/or service.
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