Brandon Ridenour is a stylistically diverse trumpet soloist, collaborative artist, composer and arranger. Recognized as “…heralding the trumpet of the future” (Chicago Sun Times) and for his “full-bodied, atmospheric arrangements” (The New York Times) Brandon began learning about the wonders of music at age 5, studying piano under the tutelage of his father. This morphed into “tootelage” when he picked up the trumpet in 5th grade band class in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This newfound brass-land blew him over to “The” Juilliard School in New York City, where he still lives today. Upon graduating, Brandon immediately began touring the world with the Canadian Brass along with embarking on a solo career. Brandon is also an active composer/arranger, writing in a wide variety of styles for various instrumentations and artists. He’s won competitions ranging from the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition to the American Composers Forum. Emphasizing the performer-composer, he assembled a group of similar minded musicians based in Brooklyn, called Founders.
Brandon has played with a diverse array of musicians including Jon Batiste, Sting, James Taylor, Marvin Hamlisch, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, Bruce Cockburn, John Williams, and esteemed ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, International Contemporary Ensemble, the Knights, Orpheus, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and many others.
Brandon is on faculty at Manhattan School of Music, NYU, and The New School where he’s passionate about developing a new model of education for a well rounded, progressive musician-of-the-future. If you’d like to know more, please visit his website! – www.brandonridenour.org