Buffalo Philharmonic
SUNY Fredonia
Alex Jokipii has held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra since 1998. A native of Escanaba, Michigan, Jokipii’s earliest training in music began at the age of 11. Alex began his advanced musical studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, majoring in trumpet and music education. As part of his undergraduate curriculum Alex enrolled at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, where he studied for a year with Timofei Dokschitzer, the celebrated Principal Trumpet of the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra.
After returning from his European study and travel, Mr. Jokipii completed his studies at WMU with a bachelor’s degree in music education. Jokipii was awarded a master of music degree in trumpet performance from the Juilliard School of Music and began to pursue his doctor of musical arts degree. Prior to being awarded his DMA, he won the position of Principal Trumpet with the Charleston (South Carolina) Symphony Orchestra. During that time he also performed with the Spoleto Festival Brass Quintet and the Charleston Brass Quintet and served on the performance faculty of Charleston Southern University as adjunct professor of trumpet.
Mr. Jokipii has appeared as a soloist at International Trumpet Guild Conferences, with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Ars Nova Chamber Musicians, the Amherst Symphony, and the SUNY Fredonia Wind Ensemble. Mr. Jokipii has also premiered and recorded numerous new works for trumpet.
Internationally, Mr. Jokipii has appeared in master classes and recitals in Krakow, Bydgoszcz, and Walbrzych, Poland and was the featured soloist with the West Bend (Wisconsin) Orchestra on their tour of Scotland in the spring of 2009. Additionally Jokipii has performed as a guest Principal Trumpet with the Dallas Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, and the Aspen Festival Orchestra. He has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Savannah Symphony, and the Rochester Philharmonic. In addition to playing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and teaching privately, Jokipii is also on the performance faculty at the State University of New York at Fredonia.