Joseph Alessi

Trombonist Joseph Alessi is an active soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. Alessi was appointed principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic in 1985. In 1990, he made his New York Philharmonic solo debut and in 1992 premiered Christopher Rouse’s Trombone Concerto with the Philharmonic. Other premieres he has played include Melinda Wagner’s Trombone Concerto in 2007 and William Bolcom’s Trombone Concerto in 2016.

Alessi began musical studies in his native California with his father, Joseph Alessi Sr., as a high school student. He was a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony before continuing his musical training at the Curtis Institute of Music. Before joining the Philharmonic, Alessi was second trombone with the Philadelphia Orchestra for four seasons and played principal trombone with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra for one season. He has performed as guest principal trombonist with the London Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, led by Pierre Boulez.

Alessi has been a guest soloist with the Lincoln, Colorado, Syracuse, Virginia, Alabama, Santa Barbara, Puerto Rico, Hartford, and South Dakota symphony orchestras; New Japan, Seoul, Hague, and Helsinki philharmonic orchestras; National Repertory Orchestra; Orchestra of Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Sicily; Mannheim National Theater Orchestra; and National Symphony of Taiwan.

He has participated in numerous festivals, including the Festivale Musica di Camera in Protogruaro, Italy; Cabrillo Music Festival; Swiss Brass Week; and 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, Ariz. In 2002, Alessi was awarded an International Trombone Association Award for his contributions to the world of trombone music and trombone playing.

Alessi, a faculty member since 1986 and Pre-College faculty since 2007, he has also given master classes throughout the world and has toured Europe extensively as a master teacher and recitalist.