Brian Shaw

Brian Shaw is Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Jazz Studies at Louisiana State University and is Co-Principal Trumpet of the Dallas Wind Symphony under the direction of Maestro Jerry Junkin.

As a Baroque trumpet player, Brian has recorded a CD titled Virtuoso Concertos for Clarino including works by Michael Haydn, F.X. Richter, and others on period instruments, accompanied by an orchestra comprised of New York’s finest period instrumentalists. In its review, Early Music America declares that “Shaw's tone is beautiful, and his playing unfailingly musical… His is a voice that will make a major mark on Baroque trumpet playing.” He has performed on Baroque trumpet throughout North America, including New York (Trinity Church Wall Street, Clarion Society, Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity, Grand Tour Orchestra, and St. Thomas Church), Boston (Boston Early Music Festival), Santa Fe (Pro Musica), and Nashville (Music City Baroque).

Interested in old and new music alike, Shaw has been the dedicatee of several works for the modern trumpet, including Joseph Turrin’s Two Images (2005) and Brett William Dietz's Redshift, a new trumpet concerto premiered with the Eastman Wind Ensemble in May of 2010. He can also be heard as principal trumpet on the premiere recording of John Corigliano’s landmark Symphony no. 3 (“Circus Maximus”) with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble, Danzante with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and on the Dallas Wind Symphony's Grammy-Nominated CDs Garden of Dreams (music of David Maslanka) and Lincolnshire Posy (music of Percy Grainger).

As a jazz trumpeter, Shaw performs regularly on the popular LSU concert series "Hot Summer Nights and Cool Jazz" playing alongside his colleagues pianist Willis Delony and bassist Bill Grimes. Shaw can be heard on lead trumpet on the 2009 Allora Records release of Facing the Mirror - the debut album of the Dave Rivello Ensemble. He has also written two jazz books: a collection of transcribed solos by Kenny Wheeler, published by Universal Edition, and a new method for young students called "How to Play Lead Trumpet in a Big Band," published by Advance Music. His 2009 transcription of Lowell Liebermann’s Flute Concerto (Op. 39) for wind ensemble is available from Presser.

Shaw has been successful in several international competitions, including first prizes in the 2001 International Trumpet Guild Mock Orchestra Competition, the 2002 ITG Solo Competition, the 1998 National Trumpet Competition Jazz Division, and was the silver medalist in the 2004 Ellsworth Smith Competition. He was a semi-finalist in the 2000 Maurice André competition, in Paris, accompanied by pianist W. David Hobbs. At LSU, he was awarded a 2009 Tiger Athletic Foundation President’s Award.

Shaw holds degrees from Eastern Illinois University (B.Mus), the Eastman School (M.Mus) and the University of Texas at Austin (D.M.A.). While at ESM, he was Principal Trumpet of the Eastman Wind Ensemble during the group’s 2004 Far East Tour and the 2005 Carnegie Hall concert. His principal teachers include Steven Bell, Parker Melvin, James Thompson, and Ray Sasaki (trumpet); Allan Horney, Mark Maegdlin, Fred Sturm, Bill Dobbins, Jeff Helmer (jazz); and Paul O’Dette and John Thiessen (early music).

Brian lives in Baton Rouge, LA. When he is not making music, he enjoys cooking, oil painting, and amateur astronomy.
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