NCB Trombone Master Class with Reed Capshaw

Left to Right: Greg Glover, Dan DiCesare, Brad Say, Paul Bauer, Reed Capshaw, Joseph Schorer, Alec Fenne, Ken Preuss, and Bryan Tipps

On Sunday, March 16, the NCB trombone section held its eighth annual master class. Leading the master class was Reed Capshaw, professor of trombone at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and, among other organizations, a regular substitute in the trombone section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Reed Capshaw currently holds the position of Principal Trombone of the Elgin Symphony, the Lake Forest Symphony, and the South Bend Symphony. He is an alumnus of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and has toured with the Cleveland Orchestra. While in Chicago, he frequently performs with many of the great area ensembles, including the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Grant Park Symphony, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, and Chicago Philharmonic.

Mr. Capshaw studied with Dr. Peter Vivona at Northern Arizona University and Dennis Bubert of the Fort Worth Symphony before he moved to Chicago in 1998. He graduated with honors with his Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance in 2002 from Roosevelt University, where he studied with Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Trombone, Jay Friedman. In 2005, he completed his Masters in Music at Northwestern University where he studied with Michael Mulcahy, Charles Vernon, and Randy Hawes. He participated in the Alessi Seminar in Italy in 2006. In 2011, he performed the Milhaud Concertino D’Hiver with the South Bend Symphony. He has also been a soloist with the Naperville Community Band. He is a member of the Chicago Trombone Consort, Third Coast Brass Quintet, and Tower Brass of Chicago. Mr. Capshaw teaches trombone and low brass at Roosevelt University, Indiana University-South Bend, and UIC. He has taught at North Central College, Harper College, and Olivet Nazarene University.

This year’s masterclass was a splendid pedagogical experience led by a master who found approachable, practical ways to deliver his message.