“dashing… dazzled like sheet-lightning”
-The Washington Post-
“world-class… breathtaking”
-The FrankfurterHoff (Germany)-
“quite simply, a superstar of the trumpet.”
-JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Virginia Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic-
“superhuman musicality… Burgstaller even played two trumpets at the same time!”
-The Syracuse Standard (NY)-
“full of heart… ”
-Klassik Magazine (Cologne, Germany)-
“No one can deny the virtuosity and flamboyant musicianship of Mr. Burgstaller. His singing tone, lightning technique, and extroverted phrasing place him in a different league.”
-The International Trumpet Guild Journal-
JOE BURGSTALLER has captivated audiences throughout the world with his dazzling virtuosity, sensitivity and engaging personality. He tours worldwide as a soloist (most recent appearances include Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Winnipeg, Hamburg, Bologna, US Virgin Islands and 22 U.S. States) as well as a clinician with his groundbreaking masterclasses for all instruments called “Change Your Mind, Change Your Playing®”. Formerly with Canadian Brass (8 yrs.) and the avant-garde Meridian Arts Ensemble (6 yrs.), he was also one of the all-time most popular soloists at Columbia Artists’ Community Concerts, performing 60 solo concerts every year. His extensive discography includes solo CDs (License to Thrill and The Virtuoso Trumpet) and three Top-10 Billboard hits.
Joe and his latest solo CD “License To Thrill” were recently the subject of an hour-long segment of The INNERView (100 million viewers) on Korea’s Arirang Television, as well as an hour-long feature on Sirius-XM Classical Radio. “License To Thrill” features the music of Vivaldi-Bach, Sting, Jennifer Higdon, Gershwin, Chick Corea and a new commission by Su Lian Tan entitled “Ming”. His last two Classical/Jazz-Hybrid crossover CDs with Grammy-nominated pianist Hector Martignon (Bach’s Secret Files and Mozart’s Blue Dreams) were Top-50 on the JazzRadio charts and the Roots Radio Report (under Paul Simon but right above the Beastie Boys).
He has performed in front of more than 45 orchestras (Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, New Jersey, Virginia, et.al) as a member of Canadian Brass and as a soloist, in more than 50 Music Festivals (14 summers at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA) and has performed and taught at over 80 universities, conservatories and colleges. As an educator, Mr. Burgstaller’s teaching emphasizes creativity, connection, versatility and entrepreneurship, and he combines the best of traditional techniques with an innovative mental training approach that has its roots in the field’s modern breakthrough discoveries of the last two decades. He was named Distinguished Faculty at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD) in 2007, where he currently teaches trumpet and chamber music. Joe Burgstaller is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
++++++++++Short bio version ends here. Continue for Long version.+++++++++++
Joe is a former full-time member and featured trumpeter with Canadian Brass, and holds the third longest tenure on trumpet in the history of that famed group. Joe toured worldwide with the Brass, performing in recital and with orchestra (Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, New Jersey, Seattle, et al.) and contributed arrangements to the group as well. Recordings that spotlight Joe include a Juno-nominated release, Magic Horn, (AllMusicGuide.com heralded Joe’s “superb set of arrangements” of Astor Piazzolla), BACH (includes his pyrotechnical arrangement of the Bach-Vivaldi Concerto in D), Legends (featuring his La Virgen de la Macarena – “Unbelievable Virtuosity” – DigitalIndie.net) and High Society (“Burgstaller’s piccolo playing throughout this album is no less than perfect… I had to pinch myself for thinking that I heard a high clarinet!” – Brass Herald Magazine). Three Canadian Brass CDs featuring Joe became Top-10 Billboard hits.
Prior to joining the Brass, Joe was one of the all-time most popular soloists at Columbia Artists’ Community Concerts (alumni include Van Cliburn and Heifetz). He was North America’s busiest trumpet recitalist, performing nearly 60 solo concerts every season with his Joe Burgstaller: The Rafael Méndez Project. He developed a community engagement component that took the circuit by storm, and his lauded audience-building plans added over 30 new season-ticket subscribers per presenter. As a Yamaha Artist and Clinician, Joe reached thousands of students every season, and The Instrumentalist Magazine dubbed Joe “The Next Méndez”. Dr. Robert Méndez, son of the legendary trumpeter, wrote of Joe: “He’s mastered my father’s works.”
His extensive discography includes his solo CD The Virtuoso Trumpet and three Top-10 Billboard hits with Canadian Brass. His first release with BM4, Mozart’s Blue Dreams, vaulted immediately into the Top-50 JazzRadio Charts, playing on over 100 radio stations. Their followup CD Bach’s Secret Files charted for several months on the Roots Radio Report (under Paul Simon, but right above the Beastie Boys). He is an active arranger and composer, and is in his second decade as a Yamaha Performing Artist. Joe’s hobby is video production, and his inventive music videos for both Mozart’s Blue Dreams and Bach’s Secret Files were debuted worldwide by Yamaha America and Yamaha Europe to an audience of over 10,000 viewers in a special industry-leading video-podcast release.
Joe co-leads the crossover jazz quartet BM4 (BurgstallerMartignon4), a New York City-based crossover group that features Grammy and Oscar-nominated musicians. Their first recording Mozart’s Blue Dreams & Other Crossover Fantasies debuted directly into the Top50 JazzRadio charts and continues to receive rave reviews (“Ethereal moments of true beauty and genius… hip and approachable.” – AllAboutJazz.com; “Stunning!” – JazzNotes). BM4 records for Summit Records (North America) and CARE Music Group (Europe). Their latest release, Bach’s Secret Drawer & More Crossover Fantasies was released in April 2011, and charted for several months on the Roots Radio Report (under Paul Simon, but right above the Beastie Boys).
Joe is a member of the New York Brass Arts Trio, which has brought three world-class virtuoso soloists together to revolutionize the brass trio, and are being hailed as the first brass group ever to play with the sensitivity and musicality of a string quartet. Burgstaller is joined by french hornist David Jolley (founding member of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) and trombonist Haim Avitsur (Symphony Magazine Emerging Artist), and have forged together Classical, Light Classical and Classical/Jazz masterworks of all eras and adapted them for this fantastic and versatile instrumentation.
Burgstaller is also a former member of New York City’s Meridian Arts Ensemble (1995-2001), and with that group toured worldwide at concert halls and clubs including NYC’s Knitting Factory and CBGB’s, and Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, received the ASCAP “Adventurous Programming Award” (shared with the Kronos Quartet) and recorded several of his own compositions and arrangements. Gramophone Magazine heralded Joe’s original work Lullaby as “an understated gem.”
Joe was a child prodigy, beginning the cornet at age six. By age twelve he was improvising jazz and soloing with area bands and jazz clubs, and by fifteen was the youngest professional in the Virginia Opera Orchestra. He received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Arizona State University (studying with Regents’ Professor David Hickman). Other teachers and mentors include Anthony Plog, Stephen Carlson, Jonathan Greenburg, Gary Gompers and David Fedderly. Joe was awarded Arizona State University’s Inaugural “Distinguished Alumnus Award”, and the Inaugural “Outstanding Alumnus Award” from Eastern Music Festival.
Joe Burgstaller is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
“dashing… dazzled like sheet-lightning”
-The Washington Post-
“superhuman musicality… Burgstaller even played two trumpets at the same time!”
-The Syracuse Standard (NY)-
“full of heart… ”
-Klassik Magazine (Cologne, Germany)-
“Burgstaller was a true miracle… (!)”
-Der Neuer Merker (Munich, Germany)-
“a meteoric career”
-The Arizona Republic-
“world-class… breathtaking”
-The FrankfurterHoff (Germany)-
“quite simply, a superstar of the trumpet. His prodigious technical ability is just the beginning- his stunning musicianship, gorgeous tone and absolute charm make his concerts unforgettable.”
-JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Virginia Symphony and Buffalo Philharmonic-
“One of the most successful classical trumpeters in North American history.”
-Montecito Journal, Santa Barbara-
“Joe Burgstaller is not just a fabulous musician and entertainer, he is a superb trumpet player. He demonstrates one of the purest trumpet sounds I’ve heard, and his remarkable agility and versatility across any genre is stunning. Best of all, he is a delightful human being, and a load of fun to work with!”
– Thomas Wilkins, Music Director, Omaha Symphony;
Principal Guest Conductor, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Youth & Family Concerts, The Boston Symphony –
“Joe Burgstaller is a superb musician and a wonderful presence on stage. I would have him back anytime, and can’t recommend him enough.”
– Matthew Savery, Music Director, Wyoming Symphony Orchestra and Bozeman Symphony-
” Joe has played Bach’s staggeringly difficult Brandenburg Concerto #2 with me many times. His performance is always flawless, sensitive and apparently effortless!”.”
– Anthony Newman, Conductor, “The High Priest of the Harpsichord” (TIME Magazine)
“Burgstaller continually delighted the audience with his musical dexterity… indefatigable…”
-The Ann Arbor News (MI)-
“gorgeous flugelhorn… superb arrangements…”
-AllMusicGuide.com-
“Burgstaller’s piccolo playing throughout this album is no less than perfect… I had to pinch myself for thinking that I heard a high clarinet!”
– Brass Herald Magazine –
“flashy, perfectly executed solos… awesome on the piccolo trumpet.”
-Times-Union (Tory, NY)-
” Unbelievable Virtuosity.”
– DigitalIndie.net –
” The Next (Rafael) Méndez”
– The Instrumentalist Magazine –
“a dazzling display of what could be done with a trumpet.”
-Stratford Beacon Herald (Ontario, Canada)-
“delighted the audience with an amazing display of skill and technique, a virtuosic performance, plus the passion of a display of superb musicianship.”
-The Pine Bluff Commercial (AR)-
“thoroughly enchanted the audience… dazzling technique and artistry.”
-The Paris Beacon-News (IL)-
“enthralled the audience with an almost unbelievable mastery of his instrument…”
-The Lancaster Intelligencer Journal (PA)-
“beautiful, filled with expression…”
-The Concordia Blade-Empire (KS)-
“dazzled the audience… his playing was flawlessly stunning with perfect technique and control”
-The International Trumpet Guild Journal –
“a rare and enriching performance… incredible musical talent…”
-The Delta County Independent (CO)-
“Josef Burgstaller’s fingers were a blur, with every Gatling gun-style note delivered perfectly on his piccolo trumpet during a Bach number.”
-Argus Leader (SD)-
“Josef Burgstaller’s [original composition] Lullaby is an understated gem”
-Gramophone Magazine-