Joe Burgstaller

When he joined Canadian Brass in 2001, Josef Burgstaller was North America’s busiest trumpet soloist, performing over 50 solo concerts every season.

Joe was one of the all-time most popular soloists at Community Concerts (a network boasting Jascha Heifetz and Van Cliburn as alumni). As a Yamaha Artist, Joe reached upwards of 7,000 students every solo season, and has appeared at over 60 universities, conservatories and colleges.

Joe was also a member of NYC’s Meridian Arts Ensemble, and with the group received the ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award (over the Kronos Quartet) and recorded several of his own compositions and arrangements. Gramophone Magazine heralded Joe’s original work Lullaby as “an understated gem.”

Thanks to his early training in jazz and his later classical training, Joe has enjoyed a wide and varied crossover career ranging from NYC’s Knitting Factory and CBGB’s to Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, as well as recordings with Dweezil Zappa and with the CB a recent Top 30 version of “The Little Drummer Boy” featuring Joe on flugelhorn and piccolo trumpet.

Joe began the cornet in Chicago at age six, by twelve was soloing with area bands and jazz clubs, and by fifteen was the youngest professional in the Virginia Opera Orchestra. He studied at Arizona State University (with David Hickman), and in 2003 was awarded ASU’s Inaugural “Distinguished Alumnus Award” (2002 had brought the inaugural “Outstanding Alumnus Award” from Eastern Music Festival).