Stephen Farrell was appointed to the United States Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland in May, 2017, a position he will assume in November of 2017. In addition to his position with the Naval Academy Band, Stephen is also an associate member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Stephen has been engaged as a substitute musician with the New World Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Waco Symphony, Northwest Florida Symphony, and the Missouri Symphony.

In 2016, Stephen was a Participant at the Alessi Seminar in Fossano, Italy. The Alessi Seminar is a week-long international event hosted by Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombonist of the New York Philharmonic and Professor of Trombone at the Juilliard School.

A strong believer in the integration of faith and music, Stephen has performed with multiple Grammy Award winning artists Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant. He also toured Germany with the christian brass ensemble, Eurobrass in the summers of 2013 and 2015.

Stephen holds degrees from Baylor University (BM 2015) and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music (MM 2017). Stephen’s teachers include Allen Barnhill, Barbara Butler, Charlie Geyer, and Brent Phillips; with additional studies under Joseph Alessi.

Originally from central North Carolina, trombonist Robert Parker is an active performer and educator in the United States, appearing with the Des Moines Symphony, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Durham Symphony Orchestra, and Carolina Brass.  Parker was also a founding member of the Seminole Trombone Quartet while a student at Florida State University, which received first alternate prize in the 2014-2015 ITA international quartet competition.

As a soloist, Robert has performed in recitals and masterclasses at various universities and festivals, including The University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Coe College, UNC-Greensboro, Florida State University, the Southeast Trombone Symposium, and the North Carolina Trombone Festival.  Additionally, Robert was a finalist in the FSU College of Music Young Artist Competition.  

As an educator, Robert has conducted masterclasses and clinics at the collegiate and secondary school level, and maintains an active private studio.  Students of Robert have successfully auditioned for admission to graduate school programs, undergraduate music programs, and placement in All-District ensembles, and All-State honors and jazz ensembles.  Students also hold band director positions at public schools throughout the southeast.  

Robert is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Iowa on a full assistantship, where he serves as a teaching assistant for the trombone studio.  At Iowa, Robert maintains a studio of undergraduate students and serves as Music Director of the University of Iowa Trombone Choir.  Robert holds degrees from Florida State University (MM), and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (BM).  His primary teachers include David Gier, Jonathan Allen, John Drew, and Randy Kohlenberg, and additional studies with Charlie Vernon and David Wulfek.  

Robert is a member of the International Trombone Association, the National Association for Music Education, the College Music Society, and Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society.  He currently resides in Cedar Rapids, IA with his wife, Kendra.

Christopher Bassett was recently appointed Bass Trombonist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Pops, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and was a 2016 Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center.

Mr. Bassett’s accolades include the Granz Prize of the bi-annual Zellmer Trombone Competition (2017), First Place in the International Trombone Association’s annual Edward Kleinhammer Orchestra Bass Trombone Competition (2017), and winner of the American Trombone Workshop’s Bass Trombone Solo Competition (2016).

As an active chamber musician, he is a founding member of the trombone quartet Boston Based, which was awarded First Place in the 2017 International Trombone Association Quartet Competition.  Mr. Bassett will also be making his debut at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival this summer with a performance of Stravinsky’s Octet for Wind Instruments.

Mr. Bassett received the Bachelor of Music degree and pursued graduate coursework at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.  There he studied with James Markey of the Boston Symphony Orchestra with additional instruction from Norman Bolter, Stephen Lange, Toby Oft, and Mike Roylance.

Aside from the trombone, he enjoys nature, politics, coffee, cooking, and owns an ever-growing collection of whacky socks.

Trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator Dr. Andrew Hamilton is originally from Amelia Island off the northeast coast of  Florida.  After receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Performance from the University of North Florida, Andrew moved to Chicago, Illinois where he quickly made his way into the rich jazz scene there.  Dr. Hamilton played at the biggest jazz venues in Chicago, from The Green Mill uptown, to Andy's and The Jazz Showcase in the heart of the city.  After finishing his Master's Degree in Jazz Performance at Depaul University in 2009, Andrew continued working in Chicago, playing in a diverse list of bands including Alan Gresik's Swing Shift Orchestra, and Bob Perna's Persistence.  In 2012 Andrew moved to Miami, Florida to begin his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance at the University of Miami.  Andrew has been working extensively in straight ahead and latin jazz since moving to Miami, including playing with Brian Lynch's Artist Ensemble and Afro-Carribean Ensemble.  After finishing his Doctorate, he joined the faculty of Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida where he teaches Applied Brass.

Andrew is also an accomplished composer and arranger.  He currently leads a group in Gainesville that plays his original music.  He has studied composition and arranging with Bill Prince, John Daversa, and Gary Lindsay.  He writes original music and arranges for groups ranging from trio to big band.  In addition to jazz, Andrew has also arranged for show bands, comedians, and is currently working on a musical for Las Vegas performer Tony Tillman.

Dr.  Hamilton is currently on faculty at Santa Fe College where he teaches Applied Brass, coaches the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo, and teaches various music related general education courses.  In addition to his course load, he also maintains a studio of private students in Gainesville.  Andrew often plays with many local groups, including the Gainesville Big Band, The Gainesville Pops, Jazzology, and several others.  He works with the University of Florida Jazz Ensemble, where he coaches the trombone section, and gives improvisation master classes.  Dr. Hamilton has also been published in Downbeat Magazine, and the International Trombone Association Journal.