Joseph Alessi

Biography

Joseph Alessi was appointed Principal Trombonist of the New York Philharmonic in 1985. Mr. Alessi began musical studies in his native California with his father, Joseph Alessi, Sr. He has performed with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and was a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony before continuing his musical training at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music. Prior to joining the New York Philharmonic, he was second trombone of the Philadelphia Orchestra for four seasons and principal trombone of L’Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal for one season.

Mr. Alessi is an active soloist, recitalist, and chamber music performer. In April 1990, he made his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic, performing Creston’s Fantasy for Trombone, and in 1992 premiered Christopher Rouse’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Trombone Concerto with the Orchestra, which commissioned the work for its 150th Anniversary Celebration. He has been a guest artist with the Lincoln Symphony, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Barbara Symphony, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Orchestra of Teatro Bellini in Catania Sicily, the Mannheim National Theater Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra and has appeared in recitals at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Mr. Alessi has also participated in numerous festivals, including the Festivale Musica di Camera in Protogruaro, Italy, the Cabrillo Music Festival, Swiss Brass Week, and the Lieksa Brass Week in Finland. He was featured in the 1997 International Trombone Festival in Feldkirch, Austria, and the International Meeting of Brass Instruments in Lille, France. He is a founding member of the Summit Brass ensemble at the Rafael Mendez Brass Institute in Tempe, Arizona.

Currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School, Mr. Alessi has taught at Temple University in Philadelphia and the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming. His students now occupy posts with many major symphony orchestras throughout the United States.

Joseph Alessi’s discography includes Slide Area on the D’Note record label and New York Legends on the Cala label. His recording of the Rouse Concerto can be heard on the RCA Red Seal CD entitled Gorgon. Other recordings featuring Mr. Alessi are with the Canadian Brass for Sony Classical and Philips Records. He was invited by the International Trombone Association to record a solo disc of newly composed works, which was distributed to the Association’s membership of five thousand trombonists in early 1999. He is the recipient of the 2002 International Trombone Association Award.

From: International Trombone Association Honorary Life Members