Joshua Wagner

Joshua Wagner is in high demand as a trumpet player, clinician, soloist, and teacher. From the beginning he has been setting himself apart from his peers with his huge sound, soaring high register, and musicality.

​He is currently 1st trumpet on the national tour of Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical. In addition to his vast freelance work, Mr. Wagner’s musical affiliations have included the Bay Area Big Band, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Traverse Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet, Judy Harrison & Swing Shift, Round Oak Cornet Band, Southwestern Michigan College Brass Band, Blue Lake Brass Faculty Ensemble, Blue Lake Faculty Jazz Septet, Café Cubano, Twin Cities Jazz Orchestra, La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Al Cobine Big Band, Keith Karns Big Band, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, David N. Baker Jazz Ensemble, Latin American Popular Music Ensemble, Brent Wallarab Jazz Ensemble, CMU Jazz Lab 1, CMU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the Lake Effect Jazz Big Band.

Past show experience includes 1st trumpet on West Side Story, Gypsy, The Music Man, Pal Joey, Sweeney Todd, Once Upon A Mattress, Seussical The Musical, Damn Yankees, Blood Brothers, Bye Bye Birdie, and How To Succeed In Business.

Mr. Wagner has performed with Phil Smith, Everette Green, Delores King Williams, Brandon Ridenour, Rich Ridenour, Vince DiMartino, Joey Tartell, Pat Harbison, Wayne Bergeron, Bobby Shew, Tom Walsh, Terri Lyne Carrington, Bill Carothers, Phil Woods, Cyrus Chestnut, Robbie Smith, Danny Barber, Kevin Good, Eric Siereveld, Keith Karns, William Camp, Tim Burke, and many more. He has performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival, Bay County Jazz Festival, Notre Dame Jazz Festival, Elmhurst Jazz Festival, CMU/Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Weekend, and the Bay View Music Festival.

Equally at home as a teacher, he serves on both the Brass Faculty and Jazz Faculty of Blue Lake International Fine Arts Camp, music faculty for Northwestern Michigan College & Southwestern Michigan College, trumpet instructor for the Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, as an adjudicator/clinician for the Michigan School Band & Orchestra Association, and presenting independent clinics and masterclasses throughout the US both in person and through Skype.

From 2003 - 2013 he was a band director for the Culver Summer Schools & Camps Naval School program. The Culver Summer Schools & Camps have drawn students from all over the world since 1902. Mr. Wagner was the director of the Summer School Jazz Ensemble, Co-Director of the Naval School Marching Band, founder, director, and composer for the Culver Honor Drum Unit, taught brass lessons, and arranged and composed for the various ensembles. In 2007 he was honored with a resolution from the Culver Summer School Alumni Association recognizing his accomplishments and dedication to the program, as a musician, and as a teacher.

Many of his students are either graduates or current students at prestigious schools around the world including the Boston Conservatory, Berkley School of Music, Western Michigan University, Michigan State University, University of Cape Town (South Africa), DePauw University, and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Mr. Wagner has studied with Dennis Horton, Jay Crouch, Danny Barber, Mike Williams, Robbie Smith, Wayne Bergeron, Kevin Good, Pat Harbison, David Baker, Vince DiMartino, and Joey Tartell.

He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Central Michigan University and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies & Trumpet from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he was the recipient of the Jamey & Sara Aebersold Jazz Studies Fellowship.