3. University of Maryland, College Park – College Park, MD
Notable Faculty: Chris Gekker, Steve Hendrickson
Often cited among the best university trumpet programs, the University of Maryland, College Park is home to two of America’s foremost trumpet pedagogues, Steve Hendrickson, principal trumpet of the National Symphony Orchestra, and Chris Gekker, who has been a soloist on over twenty commercially released CDs with students who have attained prominence in classical, jazz, and popular music industries. Gekker has also written a number of etudes and instruction books that are available worldwide to trumpeters who consider them essential texts in the theory of trumpet performance, establishing himself as a pre-eminent author of trumpet. A selective program, don’t think that just because this is a state school that it is easier to get into than the likes of Juilliard and MSM: according to my sources, there have been years where only one trumpet student has been accepted into the program.
Listen to the Faculty: Check out Chris Gekker, the gifted American trumpeter and his recording of 20th century solos
2. Arizona State University – Phoenix, AZ
Notable Faculty: David Hickman
An extremely well-known, critically acclaimed, and in-demand trumpet virtuoso and teacher, David Hickman is a Regents Professor at Arizona State University. Professor David Hickman, author of the staple trumpet text Trumpet Pedagogy: A Compendium of Modern Teaching Techniques
, has presented over 300 workshops at hundreds of universities worldwide. His discography includes 15 solo albums, and his resume’ includes performing with the likes of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the National Repertory Orchestra. Past president of the International Trumpet Guild, his former students are now world-class members of the brass community, attaining professorships and positions in prestigious brass ensembles internationally.
Listen to the Faculty: Check out an album of David Hickman playing virtuosic trumpet repertoire
1. Rice University Shepherd School of Music – Houston, TX
Notable Faculty: Charles Geyer, Barbara Butler
The pre-eminent faculty members of trumpet who have spent the last 15 years teaching at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, trumpeters Charles Geyer and Barbara Butler, consistently cited as two of the most important pedagogues in brass academia, have been professing their knowledge at Rice University since 2013. Pupils of these distinguished performers have ascended to seemingly unattainable heights in the niche of professional classical trumpet performance, with previous students of Geyer and Butler having positions in the majority of the big name orchestras throughout the world. Expect Rice to be an ideal destination for trumpet players for many years to come.
Check Out the Faculty: Here is a collection of intermediate trumpet solos
that Charles Geyer co-arranged.