About Jeffrey Cortazzo

Jeff Cortazzo is currently bass trombonist in The National Philharmonic (in residence at Strathmore) and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, both in Washington D.C., He is also adjunct professor of bass trombone at The Catholic University of America and Adjunct Associate Professor of trombone at The Shenandoah Conservatory. He is also bass trombonist/contrabass trombonist in The Capitol Bones and The Washington Trombone Ensemble and retired in 2018 as bass trombonist in The U.S. Army Blues, a component of The U.S. Army Band ‘Pershing's Own’, a post he held for 26 years. He holds a music education degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Music in Performance from DePaul University as well as a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from The Catholic University of America. Dr. Cortazzo’s principal teachers include H. Lee Southall and Charles Vernon for trombone and Andrew Simpson, Steven Strunk, Stephen Gorbos and Robert Baker for counterpoint and composition. At Music and Arts he teaches all brass instruments but tries to focus on trombone and tuba. His compostions and performances can be found on Youtube

 

Dr. Cortazzo’s newest composition as of May 2020, written for brass quintet is ‘An Interstellar Tryptich’.