JAZZ STUDIES AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIA

Meet our Trombone players 

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Andrew Watkins Alcocer is a second-year master’s student at the Eastman School of Music, studying jazz trombone performance. He completed his bachelor’s degree at California State University, Fresno, where he studied both trombone and upright bass. As a performer, Alcocer was named “Outstanding College Trombonist” by the Reno Jazz Festival in both 2017 and 2018. As a composer, Alcocer earned the Global Music Award’s silver medal for his piece “Soliloquy” and was recently selected to take part in a masterclass for the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers. Alcocer currently directs his own large ensemble in California, and is frequently in demand for commissions and arrangements for big band, small group, and commercial writing. 

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Currently pursuing a master’s degree in jazz trombone, Josh Gagnon is a native resident of Seacoast Maine and New Hampshire. Encouraged by his musically supportive family, Josh began playing trombone at the age of nine. Josh developed a passion for jazz while surrounded by the rich improvised music scene in New England. His interests were given direction and focus by acclaimed teachers such as Chris Oberholtzer, Kendall Moore, Mark Shilansky, and Mike Annicchiarico. An avid proponent of both jazz and classical trombone playing, Josh has had the opportunity to play professionally with many New Hampshire ensembles, including the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra, the Seacoast Big Band, OURBIGBAND, and Sojoy. Please visit www.jgagnonmusic.com for inquiries about booking and private lessons.

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Ethan Cypress is a first year DMA studying jazz trombone. He completed a masters in jazz studies at Eastman in the spring of 2019 and his bachelors in trombone performance at SUNY Potsdam in the spring of 2015. In March of 2019, Cypress won first prize for Division 2 of the American Trombone Workshop Solo Jazz Trombone Competition hosted by the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble in Washington D.C. In July of 2019, Cypress also won first prize in the J.J. Johnson Solo Jazz Trombone Competition hosted by the International Trombone Association in Muncie, Indiana.

Alongside his achievements as a jazz trombonist, Cypress has also been a finalist for a handful of competitions as a classical composer hosted by the American Prize, ASCAP and the Charlotte New Music Festival.

Cypress also freelances as a copyist/engraver, orchestrater and arranger for various companies across the Northeast United States. He has served as the staff arranger for the Vermont Symphony Wedding String Quartet Service, the copyist intern for members of the Mambo Legends Orchestra in NYC, and the on call copyist and arranger for the Glimmerglass Summer Opera Festival.

For the academic year of 2016-2017, Cypress was the Adjunct Faculty of Music Technology and Academic Intern for the music department at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. Cypress has continued to expand his teaching skills as a graduate assistant at the Eastman School in various capacities ranging from leading large ensembles, small ensembles and assisting in theory and history classes.

Photo credit:ESM.ROCHESTER.EDU