Joseph Norman Alessi (born September 20, 1959) is an American classical trombonist with the New York Philharmonic.

Life

Joseph Norman Alessi was born in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

and attended high school in

San Rafael, California San Rafael ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Raphael (archangel), St. Raphael", ) is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), ...

. His father, also named Joseph Alessi, was a professional

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

player, and his mother, Maria (née Leone) sang in the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

chorus. His younger brother

Ralph Alessi Ralph Alessi (born March 5, 1963) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and ECM recording artist. Alessi is known as a virtuosic performer whose critically-acclaimed projects include his Baida Quartet, with Jason Moran, Drew Gress, and Nashee ...

is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

trumpeter. Displaying notable talent himself from an early age, Alessi graduated early from high school at age 16 and successfully auditioned to join the

San Francisco Ballet San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet master Adolph Bolm. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Franc ...

Orchestra. During this time he appeared as a soloist with the

San Francisco Symphony The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Fr ...

. In 1976-77, following a previously unsuccessful audition, Alessi gained entry to the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. Hi ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, where he studied until 1980.

Career

During his third year at Curtis, Alessi joined the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...

as interim Second Trombone; he later won the job permanently and performed with the orchestra for four seasons. Following one season as Principal Trombone at the

Montreal Symphony Orchestra The Montreal Symphony Orchestra (french: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, or OSM) is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. It is the only orche ...

, Alessi joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Trombone in the Spring of 1985. Alessi made his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1990 when he performed the ''Fantasy for Trombone'' by

Paul Creston Paul Creston (born Giuseppe Guttoveggio; October 10, 1906 – August 24, 1985) was an Italian American composer of classical music. Biography Born in New York City to Sicilian immigrants, Creston was self-taught as a composer. His work ten ...

. In 1992, he performed with the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere of the ''Trombone Concerto'' by Christopher Rouse, which later received the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Alessi has since developed an increasingly active solo career, performing throughout the United States and internationally. His discography consists of over 14 full-length albums, in addition to guest appearances on albums by other artists. The New York Philharmonic has released recordings of the Rouse ''Concerto'' and the Colorado Symphony, featuring Alessi as soloist. His 1999 recording of ''Star-Child'', by

George Crumb George Henry Crumb Jr. (24 October 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an American composer of avant-garde contemporary classical music. Early in his life he rejected the widespread modernist usage of serialism, developing a highly personal musical ...

, was voted

Best Classical Contemporary Composition The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to composers for quality works of contemporary classical ...

at the

43rd Grammy Awards The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Several artists earned three awards on the night. Steely Dan's haul included Album of the Year for ''Two Against Nature''. U2 too ...

in 2001. Alessi joined the faculty of the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

in 1986, shortly after joining the New York Philharmonic. The Juilliard trombone studio has since furthered its international reputation as one of the most exemplary trombone college programs, and the Juilliard Trombone Choir has regularly performed with Alessi on his recording projects. Since 1999 Alessi has conducted the ''Alessi Seminar''; a biennial trombone workshop that attracts trombonists from around the world to spend time with him in lessons, masterclasses, and recitals.Trombone Master Class with Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic | Goldstar
/ref> Several of his past students now occupy senior positions in major orchestras throughout the world. Joseph Alessi and Swedish trombone virtuoso

Christian Lindberg Christian Lindberg (born 15 February 1958) is a Swedish trombonist, conductor and composer, Biography Early life and career Lindberg was born in Danderyd. As a youth, he learned to play the trumpet, and subsequently began to learn the trombone ...

are widely regarded as the finest players of the instrument today, arguably the finest in history. In recognition of Alessi's immense contributions to the trombone community, he was awarded the 2002 ''ITA Award'', the most prestigious award offered by the

International Trombone Association The International Trombone Association is the largest association of trombonists with 4,000 members from 74 countries. Formed in 1972, ITA is a registered non-profit organization. ITA undertakes numerous activities to further its mission: * prod ...

Playing style

Joseph Alessi's playing is often noted for refined musicianship, an extraordinarily rich sound quality and complete technical control. The music he chooses to play is mainly romantic, classical, and modern (but mainly tonal) music, while occasionally adding in some jazz playing.

Discography

Solo recordings

* ''Beyond the End of the Century'' - with Jonathan Feldman, piano (

Summit Records Summit Records, Inc. is an internationally distributed record label that evolved out of the large brass ensemble Summit Brass in the late 1980s. It was established by David Hickman and Ralph Sauer. Four Summit Records recordings have been nom ...

DCD-309) * ''Bone-A-Fide Brass'' - with Imperial Brass (Summit Records DCD-480) * ''Illuminations'' - with the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

Wind Symphony (Summit Records DCD-367) * ''New York Legends'' (Cala Records CACD0508) * ''Nicola Ferro: Caliente'' - Latin music (

CD Baby CD Baby, Inc. is an online distributor of independent music. The company was described as an "anti-label" by its parent company's Chief Operating Officer Tracy Maddux. The CD Baby music store was shut down in March 2020 with a statement that "C ...

) * ''Return to Sorrento'' (

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

8.570232) * ''Slide Area'' - with Jonathan Feldman, piano (Summit Records d'Note DCD-130) - 1992 * ''Slide Partners - 100 Years of American Trombone Virtuosity'' (Dillon Music CD004) * ''Trombonastics'' (Summit Records DCD-314) * ''Trombone Recital Tour in Japan 2011'' (Pro Arte Musicae PAMP-1047) * ''Visions'' - with

Columbus State University Columbus State University is a public university in Columbus, Georgia. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. History The university w ...

Wind Ensemble; Robert Rumbelow, conductor (Summit Records DCD-486)

Recordings as featured soloist

* ''An American Celebration; Volume II'' - includes live recording of Rouse Concerto with the New York Philharmonic (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) * ''Christopher Rouse: Gorgon'' - with Colorado Symphony Orchestra;

Marin Alsop Marin Alsop ( �mɛər.ɪn ˈæːl.sɑːp born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor, the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. She is music director laureate ...

, conductor ( RCA 09026-68410-2) * ''Eric Nathan: Multitude Solitude'' ( Albany Records TROY1586) * ''Fandango'' - with Philip Smith, trumpet;

Wind Symphony (Summit Records DCD-271) * ''French Wind Band Classics'' - with

Royal Northern College of Music The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music education ...

Wind Orchestra; Timothy Reynish, conductor (

Chandos Records Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Foden's Band Foden's Band (originally Foden's Motor Works Band, and variants with sponsors' names) is a brass band from Sandbach in Cheshire. The band derives its name from the Foden manufacturer of trucks in Sandbach. Foden's Band are one of the top br ...

; Bramwell Tovey, conductor (Egon CD-SFZ136) * ''

Melinda Wagner Melinda Jane Wagner (born 1957 in Philadelphia) is a US composer, and winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize in music. Her undergraduate degree is from Hamilton College. She received her graduates degrees from University of Chicago and University of P ...

: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra; Four Settings; Wick'' - with New York Philharmonic;

Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (, March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in th ...

, conductor ( Bridge Records 9345) * ''Passaggi: Music for Wind Band'' - with The Hartt School Wind Ensemble; Glen Adsit, conductor (Naxos 8.572109) * ''Rock Stars'' - with

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

Wind Symphony; David A. Waybright, conductor (

Mark Masters Mark Masters is an American media entrepreneur, known for being the CEO of Talk Radio Network and its four sister networks.Senzoku Gakuen College of Music is a private educational institution in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The institution operates a school of music, a junior college, primary and secondary schools, and a kindergarten. The first Senzoku Gakuen school, the Hiratsuka Sewing School f ...

Blue Tie Wind Ensemble; Masato Ikegami, conductor (Mark Records 50306-MCD)

Ensemble recordings

* ''Four of a Kind: Music for Trombone Quartet'' - with Blair Bollinger, Scott Hartman, and Mark Lawrence (Summit Records DCD-123) - 1991 * ''Four of a Kind 2: Take me out to the ball game'' - with Blair Bollinger, Scott Hartman, and Mark Lawrence (Summit Records DCD-345) - 2003 * ''Trombones Under the Tree'' - with Mark Lawrence, Carl Lenthe, and M. Dee Stewart (Summit Records DCD-146) - 1993 * ''Collage, the New York Trombone Quartet Plays!'' - with Edward Neumeister,

James E. Pugh James Edward Pugh (born November 12, 1950) is an American trombonist and composer. He was a trombonist with Woody Herman (1972–1976) and briefly with Chick Corea before concentrating on session work. Early life Pugh was born in Butler, Pennsy ...

, and David Taylor (TNC CD 1441) - 2013 * ''Just for Fun'' - World Trombone Quartet with

Michel Becquet Michel Becquet (born 4 February 1954 Limoges) is a French trombonist and professor at the Conservatoire de Lyon. Life From a young age he played piano and horn, taught by his father, a professional horn player, until he turned to the trombone, ag ...

Jörgen van Rijen Jörgen van Rijen (born 20 February 1975, Dordrecht) is Principal Trombone (jointly with Bart Claessens) at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) in Amsterdam. He is also a founding member of the Dutch trombone ensemble, New Trombone Collective, ...

, and Stefan Schulz (arcantus arc 16004) - 2016 * ''Slide Monsters''- with Eijiro Nakagawa,

Marshall Gilkes Marshall Gilkes (born September 30, 1978) is an American jazz trombonist and composer. Biography Marshall Gilkes was born in Camp Springs, Maryland to a musical family; his mother was a classical vocalist and pianist and his father was a Eupho ...

, and Brandt Attema - 2018

Orchestral recordings

* ''George Crumb: 70th Birthday Album - The Complete Works, Volume 3'' - with Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Bridge 9095) * '' Mahler:'' '' Symphonie No. 3 in d minor'' - with New York Philharmonic,

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

, conductor ( Deutsche Grammophon 427 328-2) * ''

Charles Wuorinen Charles Peter Wuorinen (; June 9, 1938 – March 11, 2020) was an American composer of contemporary classical music based in New York City. He performed his works and other 20th-century music as pianist and conductor. He composed more than ...

: Choral Works'' - with

Minnesota Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. History Em ...

(Koch 37336-2)

References

External links

*
Discography of Classical Trombone CDs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alessi, Joseph American classical trombonists Male trombonists Musicians from Detroit Juilliard School faculty Curtis Institute of Music alumni Living people Musicians from San Rafael, California 1959 births Educators from Michigan Classical musicians from California Classical musicians from Michigan 20th-century classical trombonists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century classical trombonists 21st-century American male musicians Summit Records artists